Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been elected by Parliament as the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Her appointment has been vastly criticised from various quarters.

She previously held the position of Minister of Defence. Mapisa-Nqakula was removed from that position in the wake of serious failings by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s security cluster as well as her utterances contradicting the head of state.

But her nomination has been opposed by some political parties and civil groups.

Mapisa-Nqakula is reportedly being investigated for alleged corruption.

Online publication News24 is reports that the former defence minister allegedly received a R5 million bribe from a defence contractor and blew R7 million on aircraft charters while living it up at luxury hotels.

It’s understood that Parliament’s joint standing committee on Defence appointed a task team to investigate the allegations.

Meanwhile, political commentator and author Dr Dale McKinley says that this outcome was expected, despite Mapisa-Nqakula’s dubious track-record.

He says however that for the ANC, the party goes ahead of the State.

[Header image: GCIS]