National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says she is willing to hand herself over to the police from today to effect her arrest over allegations of corruption and bribery.

BusinessLIVE reports that this follows the ruling by the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) yesterday, which dismissed her application to block her arrest, saying the application was ‘unreasonable’ and ‘speculative’.

Mapisa-Nqakula may face up to 12 counts of corruption and bribery stemming from her time as Minister of Defence. 

News24 reports that Judge Sulet Potterill dismissed her claims that the case against her was weak as 'pure speculation'.

'There's not a single fact set out as to why the future arrest will be unlawful, seemingly because there's a weak case made out. Yet (Mapisa-Nqakula) does not know what case has been made out and this pure speculation. I can make no finding on such speculation that there will be an unlawful arrest or that there is a weak case,' Potterill stated.

Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of soliciting more than R4m in exchange for tenders from a former Defence Department contractor. The contractor has since turned state witness.

‘Whatever the next step from now will be a matter of discussion and agreement between her lawyers and the NPA,’ Mapisa-Nqakula’s spokesperson, Mike Ramagoma, said.

‘The Speaker had agreed to co-operate with the NPA and that if she’s required to hand herself or to appear in court she would do so, as long as that will be done when her lawyers are available since (they are) still dealing with another matter in Durban until 3 April … From tomorrow, if she's required to appear her lawyers will accompany her there,’ Ramagoma said.

Mapisa-Nqakula had turned to the court to challenge how the search and seizure warrant was obtained and the operation itself. She also sought an order compelling the state to disclose the evidence against her.

Judge Sulet Potterill, in her ruling, said the matter was not urgent and the court could not speculate on an arrest that was yet to happen. ‘Accordingly, the application is struck from the roll. The applicant is to pay the costs, including the costs of two counsel,’ she said. 

According to BusinessLIVE, Potterill also noted that if the court had accepted the Speaker’s arguments that she be furnished with the NPA’s evidence against her before effecting an arrest, ‘the flood gates will be opened’, with other high-profile individuals seeking similar interdicts from the court.

Potterill also noted that Mapisa-Nqakula’s reasons for her request for the court to grant an interdict against her arrest were ‘speculative’ and ‘unreasonable’.

The Speaker claimed in court that the arrest was an attempt to ruin her reputation and that of the ANC ahead of the national and provincial elections. She also claimed she had been subjected to a ‘trial by media’.

Last month, the Investigating Directorate conducted a search and seizure operation at Mapisa-Nqakula's Bruma, Johannesburg, home.

News24 reports that Mapisa-Nqakula's lawyer earlier told prosecutions boss Shamila Batohi she should be summonsed to appear in court 'without the need for arrest or bail'.

In a letter sent to Batohi, attorney Stephen May offered to 'make myself available for the service of the summons' against her, which he said would ensure that the 'court's roll will not be unnecessarily burdened by a superfluous and unopposed bail application'.

Full BusinessLIVE report

Full News24 report

See also full report in The Star

Second News24 report