South Africa: Ex-Minister Mapisa-Nqakula Paid in Cash for R1.8m Home Renovation, Court Told

What the report says

At Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s corruption trial in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, a court heard testimony about extensive renovations to the former defence minister and National Assembly Speaker’s Johannesburg home. The evidence, reported by Daily Maverick and distributed by AllAfrica, came from interior designer Nomsa Patricia Betty Shabangu, who said she oversaw work on the Bruma property between 2018 and 2020.

According to the testimony, the renovation bill rose to nearly R1.8 million and included curtains said to cost R600,000 and made from imported fabric. Shabangu told the court she was paid only in cash for the project. The report says she has known Mapisa-Nqakula for about 22 years and described their relationship as close.

The testimony is part of the State’s broader corruption and money-laundering case against Mapisa-Nqakula, who has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges. Prosecutors allege she abused her position as defence minister to solicit or receive money from defence contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, whose company Umkhombe Marine secured defence-related contracts.

The case matters because it centers on alleged improper benefits tied to public office and procurement-linked business. The article says the State claims Mapisa-Nqakula sought about R4.5 million in unlawful benefits between December 2016 and July 2019, including cash for renovations. These are allegations reported in court and have not been proven.