On Thursday South Africa prosecutor charged former Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula with corruption and money laundering, a day after she resigned.

Mapisa –Nqakula was granted bail by court in Capital Pretoria soon after the charges were made public.

Meanwhile Mapisa-Nqakula has denied any wrongdoing.

On Wednesday Mapisa-Nqakula resigned as a member of parliament and her residence was raided by investigators last month as part of the inquiry.

Prosecutor Bheki Manyathi told Pretoria Magistrates Court that Mapisa –Nqakula was being charged with 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering.

Magistrate Anna Oosthuizen during the ruling said the court is satisfied that the amount initially suggested (for bail) of 50,000 rand ($2,678) is adequate in this matter. Mapisa-Nqakula must surrender her passport as part of bail conditions.

A lawyer for Mapisa-Nqakula before the ruling argued that the former speaker was not a flight risk and that she voluntarily had come to court.

Earlier this week Mapisa-Nqakula lost a court bid to prevent authorities from arresting her. She handed herself over to police earlier Thursday before appearing in court.

Mapisa-Nqakula is being accused of receiving millions of rand in cash as bribes from a former military of rand in cash as bribes from a former military contractor. She was a veteran of govering African National Congress who was defence minister from 2012 to 2021.

Her resignation is in no way an indication or admission of guilt regarding the allegations being levelled against her, Mapisa-Nqakula said this Wednesday.

Mapisa-Nqakula case will be back in court on June 4.

Prosecutors have not publicly disclosed the details surrounding the allegations or evidence against her. They did not object to her bail.

Source: Reuters.

African National Congress’s (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC)  is expected to have a special meeting on Thursday, this is to determine what will be the way forward following the outcome of the independent panel on South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal.

The panel finds that the president violated up to four laws with serious consequences.

This has definitely put him in a very difficult position, and paves way for an impeachment.

In the wake of this report, former president Kgalema Montlante or deputy president David Mabuza are touted as the possible candidates to take over as interim president if Ramaphosa steps aside.

The NEC meeting is expected to pave the way forward as ANC constitution is clear that the president must step aside after being found guilty of wrongdoing.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to appear before the National Council of Provinces on Thursday, but he has cancelled saying he can longer do so.

He told the chair he is considering the content of the Parliamentary independent inquiry on his Phala Phala scandal.

Although many people are applauding for the three member independent panel who were looking into evidence on whether or not president Cyril Ramaphosa violated the terms, the president’s loyalists are crying foul that he is wrongfully accused.

Professor Richard Calland who was removed from the independent panel after people pointed out that he was biased is now arguing that he is disappointed in the approach of the section 89 panel, he suspects that report may be reviewable.

Critics however beg to differ with Professor Richard Calland, they said it was a good thing that he was removed from the panel because it’s clear that he is indeed biased.

“It was a good decision to remove this guy from the panel. He is trying to fool us as a nation. The conclusions by retired Constitutional Court judge are damning,” they said.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa is facing a possible impeachment threat over the “Farmgate” scandal.

The president has been accused of covering up a $4m (£3.3m) theft from his farm in 2020, including kidnapping and bribing the burglars into silence.

A leaked report from an independent panel has found that Mr Ramaphosa abused his position and may have broken an anti-corruption law.

He has denied wrongdoing, and said the money was from selling buffalo.

The panel’s findings have been handed to parliament, which is set to examine them and decide whether or not to launch impeachment proceedings next week.

Mr Ramaphosa is less than a month away from a conference which will decide if he can run for a second term with his party, the African National Congress (ANC), in 2024.

The incident could be particularly +damaging as Mr Ramaphosa ran for office on an anti-corruption ticket.

The ANC will hold a meeting with its executive today, where it is expected that the issue will be discussed.

SOURCE: BBC

South African journalist and arts critic Charl Blignaut made what turned out to be an excellent prediction. “Of all the work on show, it’s this depiction of the president that will set the most tongues wagging and most likely generate some howls of disapproval,” he wrote on May 13 in a review of an art exhibition in Johannesburg.

A screen shot of a graphic released by City Press' parent company that samples tweets from around the country

Indeed, a firestorm of controversy ensued: racial tensions, the burnings of copies of Blignaut’s City Press newspaper, a protest march, a regulatory hearing, and intense debate between proponents of free speech and press freedom and those of the rights to privacy and honor.

Over a period of several days, South Africans did howl their disapproval–on Twitter. They howled not only at the Goodman gallery for exhibiting the painting (“Who does this to someone’s dad, grandfather and husband? And a president for that matter???” asked @Gwi_Gwi) but also at City Press for displaying a photo of the painting on its website. “I think u are racist,I object to the depiction of a naked president with hanging private parts,” @GPhutiana sniped at Blignaut. “Just received a letter at work alleging that City Press is run by Satanists,” tweeted City Press News Editor Natasha Joseph on May 18. “Looking at a photo of people in ‘Vote Zuma’ shirts burning old copies of City Press, all of them grinning broadly,” Joseph tweeted a week later.

Then a chilling tweet to City Press Editor-in-Chief Ferial Haffajee from @B_Mntwaphi: “U deserve everything tht comes ur way. Just hope the burn ur offices.” Another person, @nicknthala, exclaimed: “Now we need hackers to remove the painting from @City_Presswebsite.” For @Afuze, “The govt. should look into how SA media divides our country then reports on it without taking responsibility.”

Haffajee attempted to respond to the criticism. “We did not do the drawing; the only reason you know about it is because we published. Would you rather not know?” she asked @nkohlondi. “What the fundamentalists missed then, as they do now, is that we did not create the art of satire? Is dissemination, creation?” she asked.

But it was only the beginning. “Remember, do not buy the City Press today. National boycott for disrespect,” said @nkohlondi on May 19. Five days later, the ANC released a statement officially calling on its supporters to boycott City Press, even as the party’s youth league publicly dissented. “Hug an #ANCYL member: the org has broken ranks and lambasted #ANC for City Press boycott and culture of intolerance! #Spear,” commented journalist Justice Malala. Others rallied to support City Press. “Tomorrow all who value a free and independent media should tweet a pic of themselves reading @City_Press! Tag it #myCityPresspic Join me,” tweeted journalist Patrick Conroy, head of private broadcaster eNews.

City Press faced a complaint by Zuma seeking the removal of the painting from its website. “ANC wants all Internet sites to remove #ZumaSpear pictures. It will consider action against those who refuse to do so,” reported eNews journalist Karyn Maughan. In defiance, Business Day journalist Gareth van Onselen tweeted, “Well, the picture of ‘The Spear’ on Inside Politics has now received 30 000 views. And it’s not coming down.”

Under pressure, City Press blackened the offending photo on its website, drawing some criticism. “You shouldn’t have taken down the #ZumaSpear until the judge gave a verdict. Now ANC have power over @City_Press,” @pemmymatsunyane tweeted to Haffajee.

Amid some calls for the artist to be stoned, the ANC turned its attention to the Goodman gallery with a protest march, which also came under criticism. “What about #Zumaspear mobilises ppl to this extent,when lack of service delivery, corruption,crime, sexual violence don’t?” asked @zizwe.” “While #ANCMarch vs #Zumaspear: street kids across fm@Goodman_Gallery sleep rough,” noted @jozi117 with a photo of homeless kids.

Then, the Film and Publication Board (FPB) summoned City Press for a hearing. “Complainant: when painting was placed on City Press website it should have had restriction of 18” read one tweet from City Press Assistant Editor Adriaan Basson, who was posting minute-by-minute updates of the debates. “Rasibi of FPB asks if mockery of president doesn’t amount to hate speech. [Lawyer Steve] Budlender: this board shd not look after interest of politicians,” read another tweet. In appreciation for instant updates, @NikolaiViedge said: “Loving the medium of Twitter right now.” “I can’t help myself: I’m glued to ?#FBPSpear &?#SpearMarch by a sense of turgid fascination,” said @m_lungu.

In the emotionally charged debate, one notable observer–award-winning South African novelist, poet, and playwright Zakes Mda–stood out for his thoughtful and nuanced perspective. “All in all I think this debate (including litigation) is good for fledgling democracy,” he tweeted.

“As a person whose work was banned by the previous oppressors I’m against censorship even for those works that are not to my taste,” Mda declared, charging that “Some young [South Africans] who have no recollection of the Nationalist Party thought-control are trying to impose their own thought-control on us.” He added, “There is no view that will not offend someone somewhere at one time or another.”