By: Natasha Archary
Former Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was released on bail of R50 000 after stating that prison would be “cruel punishment” for her.
On Thursday, 04 April Mapisa-Nqakula who resigned from office, made an appearance at the Pretoria Magistrates Court after handing herself over to police where she was formally charged.
Mapisa-Nqakula who faces 12 charges of corruption and one for money laundering after allegedly accepting R4.5 million in bribe money, told the court that prison would not be suitable for her because it’s a disease ridden space which would put her health at risk.
The disgraced former Speaker also said she had little faith that she would be safe in prison, as drugs, violence and activities of gang initiated uninvited sex, rules the correctional facilities.
Graham Kerr-Phillips, the lawyer representing Mapisa-Nqakula pleaded her case to avoid time behind bars by reading out her written affidavit to the court.
“South African prisons do not have facilities available to make provision for my safety and security.
The overarching impression is that South African prisons are incapable of any form of rehabilitation because correctional staff are simply overwhelmed by the task of preventing inmates from killing each other.
Assault by inmates as well as correctional service officers is a constant threat. Membership of gangs is often predicated by the commission of an assault.
Applying the concept of systemic failure, the South African prisons and juvenile facilities do not have facilities available to make provision for my safety and security.
Activities of gangs are to organise uninvited sexual contact or facilitate the drug trade. The chief targets of such are the old and the young.”
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was released on bail of R50 000 after stating that prison would be “cruel punishment” for her.
Mapisa-Nqakula claimed her health condition, hypertension would worsen if she were remanded in custody, and made reference to former President Jacob Zuma who was placed on medical parole due to ill health.
Access to ablution facilities in prisons are not up to Mapisa-Nqakula’s standards, and she expressed that this causes diseases to spread.
The court granted Mapisa-Nqakula R50 000 bail with conditions and she will need to hand over her passport by Monday.
A second accused in the corruption and money laundering case against Mapisa-Nqakula is expected to appear beside her when the matter resumes on 04 June.
Also read: R11 million in counterfeit goods seized, 37 foreign nationals arrested in Fordsburg
