Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has launched an urgent court interdict to prevent her arrest and has also asked for a docket to be handed over to her lawyers. She is accused of receiving R2.3 million cash as bribes from a military contractor when she was still the minister of defence.

This morning, Bantu Holomisa took to the media to say the Speaker handed herself over to the police, but her special advisor Mike Rakoma says the reports are false. This comes after Mapisa-Nqakula's Johannesburg home was raided by the Hawks on Tuesday and saw her also taking special leave yesterday. The raid is linked to a probe into alleged corruption during her time as Defence Minister between 2012 and 2021. In the court papers directed at National Director of Public Prosecutions, Police Minister Bheki Cele, Bheki Manyathi, chief investigator Dylan Perumal and sergeant Suneel Bellochun, Mapisa-Nqakula stated that she is restraining and interdicting the Directorate of the National Prosecution Authority from arresting her. "Interdicting and restraining the first and fifth respondents or their agents from arresting the applicant whether under section 40 or 43 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977. Ordering the and directing all the correspondents to furnish the applicant's legal representatives forthwith and without delay the entire State Brief including without limitation. All enquiry dockets which preceded the opening of the docket containing any portion of the investigation of the docket," the court papers reads. Mapisa-Nqakula further ordered and directed Cele, Manyathi, Perumal and Bellochun to arrange with her lawyers for the summons to appear in the magistrates court with jurisdiction. She gave the respondents until Tuesday midday for them to respond to her interdict and order.

Yesterday Mapisa-Nqakula announced that she was taking special leave due to the seriousness of the matter. "I wish to place it on the record that while the Investigative Directorate of the National Prosecution Authority conducted a search and seizure at my residence, there has been no formal notification of an arrest warrant or communication regarding an imminent arrest for me, neither to me or my lawyers. My lawyers have informed the NPA of my readiness to comply and cooperate should the need arise," she said. The Speaker added that given the seriousness of the allegations and attendant extensive media speculation, she has decided to take special leave from her position in the National Assembly, effective immediately. "The decision by myself is meant to protect the integrity of Parliament and the president of the Republic," she said.