Prosecutors Shore Up Corruption Case Against Ex-Defence Minister With Corroborating Witnes

PRETORIA — The corruption trial of former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula entered a critical phase this week as prosecutors shifted from relying primarily on their main witness to presenting what they characterize as corroborating evidence drawn from military officers, family members, and professionals involved in home renovations.

The Gauteng High Court heard testimony designed to support the State’s core allegation: that Mapisa-Nqakula received approximately R4.5 million in corrupt payments between 2016 and 2019 from defence contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu in exchange for using her ministerial position to benefit Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s company, Umkhombe Marine. Mapisa-Nqakula has pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering.

Rather than introducing fresh allegations, prosecutors focused on reinforcing the narrative established by Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, their principal witness, whose testimony had dominated the trial for weeks. The defence strategy centred on exposing inconsistencies in the accounts presented by those called to support that version of events.

Retired Major General Dr Noel Ndhlovu, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s husband and former deputy surgeon general of the South African National Defence Force, emerged as a significant prosecution witness. His testimony centred on an allegation that Mapisa-Nqakula demanded R2 million from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu to secure his promotion to surgeon general. Ndhlovu told the court he believed himself the strongest candidate for the position but instead spent approximately four years on suspension while his wife’s defence contracts underwent investigation. Upon returning to work, he reported to an officer who had previously been his junior before retiring from the SANDF in 2025.

Ndhlovu testified that although he did not witness the alleged solicitation directly, he was shocked when his wife disclosed she had been making cash payments to Mapisa-Nqakula. He said he instructed her to stop because he believed the payments were improper. During cross-examination, the defence challenged inconsistencies in his recollection, particularly regarding when he first became aware of the alleged payments, while emphasising that much of his evidence rested on conversations with his wife rather than first-hand knowledge.

The prosecution also called members of Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s family to corroborate her account. Her brother, Sabelo Ntsondwa, testified about accompanying her during one substantial cash withdrawal and a robbery that followed. Her daughter, Lilitha Ndhlovu, and her sister, Andiswa Ntsondwa-Joyi, described accompanying her to Mapisa-Nqakula’s Johannesburg home on separate occasions. While neither Lilitha nor Noel Ndhlovu said they knew money was being delivered, Andiswa testified that her sister told her they were delivering R400,000 because the former minister “constantly demanded money”.

The defence identified an apparent inconsistency between Andiswa’s evidence that cash was carried in a white A4 envelope and Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s earlier testimony that it had been placed in an FNB money bag. Prosecutors responded that the money bag had been placed inside the envelope. That explanation drew a pointed remark from Judge Mashudu Munzhelele, who noted it was the first time she had heard it.

Meanwhile, the court heard from retired Defence Department legal adviser Simphiwe Nkosana, who testified that she accompanied Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu to Mapisa-Nqakula’s satellite office at Waterkloof Air Force Base in September 2018. She did not attend the meeting or witness any money changing hands, though prosecutors allege Mapisa-Nqakula received US$10,000 during that visit. Attorney Zola Majavu did not testify after raising concerns about attorney-client privilege arising from legal advice he had previously provided to Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu.

The trial then shifted to evidence the State says underpins the money-laundering charge. Architect Emmanuel Mulaudzi testified that he received cash payments for preparing plans for renovations at Mapisa-Nqakula’s Bruma residence. Interior decorator Nomsa Shabangu told the court she received approximately R1.7 million, largely in cash, for extensive renovations that included bespoke furniture, underfloor heating, gold-leaf ceilings, and luxury kitchen and bathroom upgrades. Some purchases were made using Mapisa-Nqakula’s bank card, but Shabangu testified that most payments she received were in cash.

Prosecutors allege the Bruma renovations were funded with money paid by Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, although the renovation witnesses did not testify to knowing the source of the cash.

By Thursday midday, the trial entered its forensic phase when Investigating Directorate chief financial investigator Wynand Wessels took the stand. His evidence is expected to examine financial flows through the bank accounts of Mapisa-Nqakula, her husband Charles Nqakula, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, and witnesses connected to the Bruma renovations. The week’s proceedings marked the first sustained attempt by prosecutors to move beyond their principal witness, presenting corroborating testimony alongside financial evidence, while the defence continued testing that evidential chain through cross-examination. Whether Wessels’s forensic analysis can close the gaps the defence has worked to open remains the question the court will now have to answer.