Cape Town – Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the National Assembly (NA) Speaker, is this week expected to lead a South African parliamentary delegation to the Women Speakers’ Summit to be held in Paris, France.
The summit is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, (6 and 7 March 2024).
A communique from Parliament on Sunday said the summit is being held under the auspices of the International Parliamentary Union.
The announcement of the trip to France came hours after Sunday Times reported that NA Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula was being probed for possible corruption when she was the Defence Minister.
Commenting on the allegations on Newzroom Afrika United Democratic Movement leader General Bantu Holomisa said Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula must resign.
Alternatively, General Holomisa suggested that Parliament’s impeachment processes must start, following allegations that Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula received bribes of R2.3 million from a South African National Defence Force contractor when she was Defence Minister.
The Speaker has reportedly been implicated in an affidavit submitted to the Investigative Directorate by Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, the owner of Umkhombe Marine.
The Sunday Times reported that the Speaker said she was unaware of the investigation against her.
“If that is what you are saying, [that] I am being investigated, I expect that I will be questioned by the directorate and if I am being charged I will be taken to court. And then I will speak for myself,” the Sunday Times quoted Mapisa-Nqakula as saying.
However, the communique from Parliament made no mention of the probe and only gave details of the summit in Paris that the Speaker is expected to attend.
“The Summit provides women in the highest decision-making positions of world parliaments a forum in which to exchange ideas and experiences that are of interest to their national and international agendas,” the communique said.
“It is open to women Speakers of national parliaments as well as to women Presidents of regional and international parliamentary assemblies that are associate members of the IPU.”
This year, the women Speakers are gathering to reaffirm their unwavering support for women’s rights.
Through this unprecedented Summit, women Speakers aim to promote parliamentary diplomacy, strongly committed to this goal.
Delegates will use this Summit to denounce and strongly condemn sexual violence against women in times of conflict in violation of international law, including the abhorrent use of rape as a weapon of war.
