UDM to approach Parliament over Mapisa-Nqakula corruption allegations
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) will approach Parliament to probe allegations that Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula received cash and gifts totaling R5 million from a contractor.
It is alleged that money and gifts were from a South African Defence Force (SANDF) contractor.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa says the decision by the party comes after an anonymous list of questions was sent to them, accusing the minister of thewrongdoing.
“The United Democratic Movement has written a letter to the joint standing committee on defence after it received anonymously a list of questions, which is accusing the Minister of Defence.
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“So we felt that we’d rather take this matter to the relevant committee in Parliament and also ask the said committee to summon the minister and write to her to answer to the take on allegations. So far, the minister has responded by saying she is not denying these allegations, other than to say ‘go to the police’.”
Holomisa says the party would not yet be heading to the police just yet.
“We will go to the police at a later stage, but the committee has the right to do the oversight in the Department of Defense. For example, if we say let us conduct a lifestyle audit, let us look at these timelines contained in the letter and say out of this there is a need to conduct further investigation. It is still too early to go to the police.”
