Whistle-blower alleging graft willing to work with Parliament

IT REMAINS unclear whether Parliament will reopen its investigation into Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula as a whistle-blower alleging corruption has expressed willingness to work with Parliament.

The whistle-blower claimed that Mapisa-Nqaqula made demands amounting to extortion while serving as defence minister.

The whistle-blower said a defence contract was awarded in 2012 which did not involve the minister.

However, shortly after the tender was awarded, Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly demanded payments be made to her.

In one instance, the whistle-blower said, a “cash payment of R400 000 was delivered to Mapisa-Nqakula's home in Bruma”.

The whistle-blower said if there was no compliance with the former minister's demands for payments, payments for contract work done were delayed deliberately by Mapisa-Nqakula.

The allegations were contained in a statement drafted by the whistle-blower and the law firm Molala Attorneys.

The whistle-blower has refused to be named but has now expressed willingness to work with Parliament.

The letter has been drafted for Parliament and is dated August 31.

This letter came days after Parliament's standing committee on defence dropped its probe into Mapisa-Nqakula, citing the fact that the whistle-blower failed to present evidence against her.

Co-chairpersons of the committee Elleck Nchabeleng and Cyril Xaba said there was nothing they could do but to drop the investigation.

Xaba cited a lack of evidence as the reason.

They tried to track down the whistle-blower who initially promised to make an affidavit and undertook to make oral presentations but, said Xaba, “on the last day of this committee he or she says, the lawyer says, he or she can only file an affidavit, which is less than what we have requested of him or her”.

Nombuso Molala, of Molala Attorneys, said her client had decided to draft a response to the 27 questions she was requested to answer in the form of a statement instead of an affidavit.

The client had also expressed concerns over these leaked questions.

“It is worthy of note that our client, as a victim of extortion, is still willing and committed to co-operate and assist the portfolio committee in its investigation of the matter,” Molala said in a letter addressed to Parliament.

The statement states that the whistle-blower deemed the demands made by Mapisa-Nqakula as amounting to extortion.