PRETORIA – The corruption and money laundering trial of former Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula took a dramatic turn on Friday, as a key witness testified that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) had been scrutinizing a prominent military contractor long before the alleged illicit dealings with the minister began.
Retired SANDF General Sandile Sizani took the stand at the Pretoria High Court, revealing that he was instructed as early as 2016 by the then-Chief of the SANDF, General Solly Shoke, to launch a “discreet” investigation into Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndlovu and her company, Umkhombe Marine.
Mapisa-Nqakula, who is facing 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering, stands accused of soliciting illicit cash payments from Ntsondwa-Ndlovu between 2016 and 2019. However, General Sizani’s testimony suggests that the military’s leadership was already deeply suspicious of the contractor’s activities before the period in question.
Sizani told the court that General Shoke had emphasized the need for absolute secrecy due to the sensitive nature of the information provided by a whistleblower. “I asked him, and the reason he gave me was that the whistleblower did not trust anyone,” Sizani recounted.
During his probe, Sizani uncovered alarming irregularities, most notably concerning a military tender and an unauthorized landing at the high-security Waterkloof Air Force Base. He highlighted a specific deception where the contractor claimed to have chartered an aircraft to repatriate military equipment from abroad, while in reality, the flight had already touched down at Waterkloof days before the tender process had even been finalized. “That was the main red flag,” Sizani testified.
The retired general expressed deep frustration over the subsequent handling of his findings. He stated that he had handed over a dossier of evidence to the military police, which he believed was sufficient to warrant immediate arrests. However, after three months of total silence, he approached Mapisa-Nqakula to demand answers as to why no action had been taken against the contractor.
“It concerned me because I saw nothing happening,” Sizani told the court. “Maybe I expected quick arrests or something like that because the documents that I had handed over to the military police were enough for something to happen immediately.”
Sizani’s testimony adds a significant layer to the prosecution’s case, suggesting that the alleged corruption occurred despite high-level awareness of potential criminality within the defense supply chain.
As the trial continues to unravel, the court is expected to hear from two more witnesses next week, who are anticipated to shed further light on the operations of Umkhombe Marine and its interactions with the former minister. Mapisa-Nqakula remains out on bail as the legal proceedings move forward.
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