The spokesperson for the Speaker of the South African Parliament says there will be discussions with the Prosecutor’s Office regarding the voluntary handover of Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to the police authorities in Pretoria.
Mike Ramagoma explained that the urgent request to interdict the detention of the President of Parliament, rejected yesterday by the Pretoria High Court, was for Mapisa-Nqakula to present herself to the authorities accompanied by her legal representative.
Ramagoma said that Mapisa-Nqakula’s lawyer has been busy in recent days and will be available from this Wednesday.
After the Court rejected the urgent request, everything indicates that the remaining path for the president of parliament is to hand herself over to the authorities.
The next step will be to request release on bail. The Prosecutor’s Office has already indicated that it will not oppose a request in this regard,
The Pretoria High Court said yesterday that Mapisa-Nqakula’s request was not urgent and that accepting it would set a precedent.
However, the spokesperson for the South African Public Prosecutor’s Office, Mthunzi Mhaga, refused to indicate the deadline for Mapisa-Nqakula to present herself to the authorities:
“We do not discuss issues of arrests and processes under investigation in the media. But obviously the wheel of justice is now in motion. We have always stated that this case is unprecedented and we believe that we do not need to be taken to court”, he said.
The rejection of the urgent request and the imminent arrest of the President of the South African parliament received diverse reactions in the political landscape of the land of the rand.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s African National Congress party said she has the right to explore any avenue related to the corruption allegations raised. He added that, internally, she will have to submit to the party’s legal and organizational processes.
The Economic Freedom Fighters party demands the immediate arrest of Mapisa-Nqakula after what it describes as a failed attempt to evade justice.
The Democratic Alliance says that the rejection of the urgent request shows that it is imperative that, as soon as possible, parliament debate the motion of censure against the President and demand her removal.
Freedon Front plus says it will vote in favor of the motion of censure.
The president of the South African Parliament faces 12 charges of corruption and one of money laundering, worth four million and five hundred thousand rands, which occurred when she was Minister of Defense. (RM Johannesburg)
Tags: South Africa Debates surrounding voluntary handover President Parliament police authorities
