‘I’m not well’: Ill health cuts short Mapisa-Nqakula’s court appearance
Proceedings at the Gauteng High Court were cut short on Tuesday after former defence and military veterans minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said she was too ill to continue giving testimony.
Mapisa-Nqakula appeared in court for cross-examination by the state regarding her salary, travel and subsistence (S&T) allowances and tax declarations.
Before the session began, Mapisa-Nqakula told the court she was feeling unwell and intended to request an early adjournment. Though she initially attempted to proceed with her testimony, she eventually paused the proceedings to reiterate her distress.
“I am not well,” Mapisa-Nqakula said. “I felt it would’ve been an embarrassment to request to be released earlier on. As it stands, I don’t feel like proceeding. I’m requesting to go see my doctor.”
Judge Mashudu Munzhelele noted the court could not continue while the accused was ill, and the matter was postponed to October 2.
This is not the first time proceedings were cut short. Earlier this month, her testimony was cut short due to ill health.
Before the adjournment, the state presented a document detailing Mapisa-Nqakula’s tax returns filed between 2017 and 2020, which indicated her S&T payments were never declared to the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
While Mapisa-Nqakula acknowledged her tax affairs are ultimately her responsibility, she insisted the department of defence handled those administrative matters during her tenure in government.
“All I know is that for all the years I’ve worked in government, I received my S&T. You can do a thorough investigation at the department regarding the issue,” she said.
Emphasising the department was responsible for reconciling her tax matters with Sars, Mapisa-Nqakula directed responsibility back to her former employer.
“If this document doesn’t reflect the S&Ts I received, I ask that it be resolved between the department and Sars,” she said.
“My tax returns are filed yearly. I ask the state to investigate the department as to why this was not included. I’ve never been a bookkeeper, I’ve never worked at Sars, and I’ve never worked in finance. I ask the state to verify with Sars via the department. As for myself, I simply received my S&T.”