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“He was not appointed because he was not appointable.” This was the testimony of former defence and military veterans minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in the Gauteng high court in Pretoria regarding allegations that she demanded a R2m bribe from South African National Defence Force (SANDF) logistics contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu to secure her husband’s promotion.Testifying on Tuesday, Mapisa-Nqakula responded to 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering stemming from her tenure as defence minister between 2016 and 2019. Prosecutors allege she solicited R4.5m in bribes, including R2.1m paid in cash, from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu to secure and maintain government tenders.Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, the state’s key witness, previously testified about the financial demands Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly made after her logistics company, Umkhombe Marine, secured a lucrative replacement contract with the SANDF.She also claimed that Mapisa-Nqakula demanded a R2m bribe in 2018 to secure a promotion for her husband Maj-Gen Dr Noel Ndhlovu, to surgeon-general. Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu refused to pay, arguing that her husband was highly qualified and deserved the promotion on merit.Mapisa-Nqakula dismissed the allegation, saying it made no sense to demand money from everyone she promoted.“I’m baffled by this,” Mapisa-Nqakula said. “Does this mean I’ve been asking for money from people I’ve been promoting in my job? I never asked Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu for money.”She explained that Ndhlovu was not appointed surgeon-general because “he was not appointable.” The reasons included a lack of security clearance due to ongoing investigations involving him and his wife, concerns over his conduct, and the fact that serving as deputy surgeon-general did not automatically entitle him to the top post.“He is aware of all these reasons,” Mapisa-Nqakula said, adding that only the president appoints the surgeon-general and that the minister has no role in the process.In 2020, Ndhlovu was placed on precautionary suspension after the department of defence launched litigation against his wife over allegations that she illegally secured more than R100m in military contracts. He previously testified that, prior to his suspension, he was the most qualified candidate to succeed Gen Solly Shoke as SANDF chief. However, due to the pending investigation, his junior, Gen Rudzani Maphwanya, was appointed to the post instead.This did not happen. I’m just trying to figure out the greed being referenced. I’m not angry, but I’m just trying to understand.— Former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-NqakulaMapisa-Nqakula denied all allegations of soliciting or receiving money from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu. She also refuted claims that codenames such as “wig”, “impepho” and “indumba” were agreed upon to facilitate bribe requests.“I never asked for or requested money from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu. I’ve never asked for any of it,” she said. “This did not happen. I’m just trying to figure out the greed being referenced. I’m not angry, but I’m just trying to understand.”She added that, as a traditional healer, she would not lie about such matters.“When you are a traditional healer, there are very few things you could get away with lying about — and this is not one of them.”She acknowledged that terms like “impepho” and “wig” were used in their conversations, but insisted they referred literally to physical items, not covert terms for cash.Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu previously testified that Mapisa-Nqakula requested $10,000 in foreign currency for an official trip to New York, claiming the cash was handed over at an airbase.Mapisa-Nqakula denied receiving the funds and detailed the standard administrative process for foreign ministerial travel. She explained that a memorandum listing all travellers is submitted to the president for approval, after which an official foreign currency allowance is issued. When asked about her US trip, she noted she could not recall the exact amount or currency allocated to her.Regarding allegations that Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu hid R300,000 in cash inside a wig delivered to an airport, Mapisa-Nqakula offered a different account. She confirmed discussing a wig after complimenting Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s hair at the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition at Waterkloof Air Force Base in September 2018.Mapisa-Nqakula explained that she rarely wears wigs, preferring headwraps or a shaved head, and had asked for a small, short, light wig to try something new. Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu offered to buy it for her. The wig was delivered a year later in a small, transparent bag containing nothing else.Mapisa-Nqakula also denied allegations of other cash drop-offs, including instances where Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu claimed to have been accompanied by her sister or daughter.During the proceedings, Mapisa-Nqakula raised concerns that a member of the prosecution team was pulling faces and giggling during her testimony.Judge Mashudu Munzhelele instructed the prosecution team to refrain from such behaviour, reminding the court of its duty to treat all witnesses with dignity. While prosecutors stated they were unaware of the behaviour, Mapisa-Nqakula reiterated that the gestures were disrespectful.“Every person deserves respect,” she said.The trial continues on Wednesday.
