Late on Human Rights Day, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula stepped aside from public office under a cloud of corruption allegations and amid rumours of her possible arrest.
On Thursday, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula became the first speaker of democratic South Africa to take special leave from the responsibility of heading the legislative sphere of state.
Two days earlier, a raid by the Investigating Directorate (ID) on her Johannesburg home triggered speculation about her possible arrest in connection with bribes of millions of rands solicited while she was defence minister.
"Given the seriousness of the allegations and the attendant extensive media speculation, I have decided to take special leave from my position as speaker of the National Assembly, effective immediately," Mapisa-Nqakula said.
"This decision by myself is meant to protect the integrity of Parliament and ensure its sacred duty and its name continue unblemished."
Her announcement came about four hours after a parliamentary statement that said Mapisa-Nqakula "is leading a multi-party delegation ... to the 148th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland".
'Ready to cooperate'
Mapisa-Nqakula said her lawyers had been in touch with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to inform it "of my readiness to comply and cooperate should the need arise". Despite Tuesday's ID raid, she said that to date "no formal notification of an arrest warrant or communication of an imminent arrest"...
