Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has denied soliciting or receiving any money from SANDF logistics contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, telling the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that allegations she demanded R4.5 million in bribes between 2016 and 2019 are false. Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering, with the trial presided over by Judge Mashudu Munzhelele. The charges relate to her tenure as minister of defence and military veterans, during which prosecutors allege she received cash payments from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, whose company Umkhombe Marine secured SANDF contracts worth tens of millions of rand.

Defence Minister Rejects Bribe And Promotion Allegations

According to prosecutors, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu testified that the first bribe demand of R300,000 came through the late secretary for defence, Dr Sam Gulube, on Mapisa-Nqakula’s behalf. The state further alleges that code names including ‘impepho’, ‘indumba’ and ‘wig’ were agreed upon to refer to money in future communications, as first reported by TimesLive. Mapisa-Nqakula denied that any code words were ever established or used.

The state’s key witness also alleged that Mapisa-Nqakula demanded R2 million in 2018 to secure a promotion for her husband, Maj-Gen Dr Noel Ndhlovu, to the position of surgeon-general. The state alleges Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu was summoned to Mapisa-Nqakula’s Bruma home in September 2018, where she brought R100,000 in cash and the R2 million demand was made. This claim, based solely on witness testimony, has not been independently corroborated.

Mapisa-Nqakula testified that only the president appoints the surgeon-general in consultation with the head of the SANDF, and that the minister has no role beyond being informed of the decision. She told the court Ndhlovu was ‘not appointable’ due to a lack of security clearance, ongoing investigations into him and his wife, and conduct she described as ‘mutinous’. Maj-Gen Ndhlovu was suspended from the SANDF for nearly four years, from 15 October 2020 to 2 April 2024, pending investigation into a military tender awarded to his wife.

I never asked for or requested money from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu. I’ve never asked for any of it. This did not happen. I’m just trying to figure out the greed being referenced. I’m not angry, but I’m just trying to understand.

Mapisa-Nqakula, represented by advocate Siyabulela Mapoma SC, also addressed a conversation about a wig that took place at the African Aerospace and Defence exhibition at Waterkloof Air Force Base in September 2018. She confirmed complimenting Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s hairpiece but denied any coded meaning. The prosecutor, advocate Emile van der Merwe from the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, is leading the state’s case.

Contract History And Broader Implications

The state alleges Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s company, Umkhombe Marine, was initially awarded a R104-million contract with the SANDF, which was suspended and replaced with a R79-million tender. According to DailyMaverick, the prosecution contends this replacement contract formed part of the backdrop against which bribe solicitations occurred. The exact sequence and amounts of alleged cash payments remain disputed and have not been conclusively proven in court.

Mapisa-Nqakula, a senior ANC politician who served as Speaker of the National Assembly after her tenure as defence minister, resigned from the speaker position in March 2024 ahead of her arrest. The case is being prosecuted by Idac, a specialised unit within the National Prosecuting Authority, and underscores ongoing efforts to address corruption in South Africa’s defence procurement processes. The trial is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, 9 September 2026.