‘I have ubuntu’: Mapisa-Nqakula denies she ignored ‘robbery before cash handover’ - TimesLIVE

Former defence and military veterans minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has testified that she was unaware that South African National Defence Force (SANDF) logistics contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu was allegedly robbed on her way to deliver R200,000 in cash during their second meeting.

Mapisa-Ngakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering stemming from her tenure as defence minister between 2016 and 2019. She allegedly solicited R4.5m in bribes, R2.1m of which was allegedly paid in cash, from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu to secure and maintain government tenders.

Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, the state’s key witness, previously testified that in July 2017, she delivered R200,000 in cash to Mapisa-Nqakula’s Bruma home on the exact evening she survived an armed robbery in Spruitview, Ekurhuleni.

She claimed the attackers missed the cash hidden under the car seat, allowing her to proceed with the delivery later that night. Her husband, retired Maj-Gen Noel Ndhlovu, supported her account, testifying that he drove her to the former minister’s home because she was too injured from the attack to drive herself.

According to Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, she went inside the house alone with her handbag while her husband waited in the car. She alleged that when she handed over the money, Mapisa-Nqakula completely brushed off the fact that she was injured.

However, testifying before the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday, Mapisa-Nqakula disputed the timeline, stating that their second meeting took place in April or May 2017, not July. She maintained that Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu never mentioned any robbery during the visit.

I do have ubuntu. I would never be in a situation where someone tells me they were robbed and I just look at them and ask for money without caring about what happened

“As I’m standing here, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu never once mentioned to me that she had been robbed,” Mapisa-Nqakula told the court.

She denied receiving any money that day, claiming the actual purpose of the meeting was for Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu to vent about personal issues with her sister.

Mapisa-Nqakula added that had she been told about the robbery, she would have shown compassion and ubuntu rather than dismiss the injuries, as alleged.

“I do have ubuntu. I would never be in a situation where someone tells me they were robbed and I just look at them and ask for money without caring about what happened,” she said.

State prosecutor Emile van der Merwe questioned her defence, asking why, if she held such deep beliefs in ubuntu, she had not instructed her legal team to dispute Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s claims during examination.

When asked to clarify what she meant by ubuntu, Mapisa-Nqakula explained that it is a broad concept centred on kindness and sympathy, emphasising that she would have demonstrated those values immediately.

“I would have been sympathetic and cried with her, which comes naturally to me. If she had mentioned she was injured, I would have tried to help.”

Even if she was injured, there is no reason I would stand before this court and lie about not knowing. To suggest otherwise is an insult

Expressing outrage over the allegations, Mapisa-Nqakula said she felt irritated by how the prosecution framed the incident, as though she were somehow implicated in the robbery itself.

“I was irritated by how it was framed, as if I were responsible for the robbery. If I had known she was robbed and injured, I wouldn’t have kept quiet and pretended nothing happened, no matter who it was. It portrays me as someone devoid of humanity,” she testified.

“Even if she was injured, there is no reason I would stand before this court and lie about not knowing. To suggest otherwise is an insult. It’s equivalent to finding someone on the floor and stepping over them. I was unaware of her injury, and I never received any money from her.”

In his prior testimony, Ndhlovu confirmed driving his wife to Mapisa-Nqakula’s house on the night of the alleged robbery, though he claimed he did not know the true purpose of the visit at the time. He stated that he only learnt about the financial exchange a month later, at which point he told his wife to stop.

Mapisa-Nqakula acknowledged knowing that Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s husband had accompanied her and stayed in the car that evening. However, she claimed she was only informed of his presence as Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu was leaving and did not know why he was driving her.

The state contended that the cash delivery took place during their second meeting in July 2017. Their initial meeting occurred in December 2016 at OR Tambo International Airport, where Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly admitted to making financial requests and agreed to communicate directly with Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu regarding future payments.

In my culture, when someone requests to see you and you agree, you don’t judge them by their status. I am simply not like that

Mapisa-Nqakula has repeatedly denied these allegations, maintaining that their connection was based solely on shared experiences as traditional healers.

Van der Merwe pressed her on the nature of their relationship, asking if they were friends, family or like sisters at the time. Mapisa-Nqakula clarified that while they were not friends, they shared a bond as “sisters” within the traditional healing community, not through blood.

When asked why Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu would confide such personal details to someone she was not close with, Mapisa-Nqakula testified that she was simply offering support as a fellow human being, despite their status.

Mapisa-Nqakula noted that there had been no communication between her and Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu between their first meeting in December 2016 and their second meeting in mid-2017.

She pointed out that Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu initiated the visit without disclosing the topic in advance. However, Van der Merwe argued that it was unusual for near-strangers to meet under such circumstances.

Mapisa-Nqakula dismissed the assertion, maintaining that her cultural values dictate treating anyone seeking her audience with equal respect.

“In my culture, when someone requests to see you and you agree, you don’t judge them by their status. I am simply not like that.”