Court hears of Mapisa-Nqakula’s R1.7m house renovation spree

Former defence and military veterans ministerNosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakulamade cash payments totaling roughly R1.7m for extensive renovations to her home in Bruma, Johannesburg, using money she receieved from bribes, the state has alleged. Mapisa-Nqakula is facing 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering involving approximately R4.5m in cash bribes and benefits allegedly solicited between 2016 and 2019 from South African National Defence Force (SANDF) contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu of Umkhombe Marine. Testifying at the Pretoria high court yesterday, interior decorator Nomsa Shabangu and architectural draftsman Azwinndini Mulaudzi detailed the work done at the Bruma residence.

Shabangu testified that she has known Mapisa-Nqakula since 2004 when she was introduced to her by deceased former Mpumalanga MEC Steve Mabona. Describing Mapisa-Nqakula as being “like a sister” to her, Shabangu said she was tasked with overseeing the renovations, interior design, purchasing building materials, and paying contractors at Mapisa-Nqakula’s instruction. While the original estimate was R352,000 for materials and R115,000 for labour, escalating scope pushed the total costs for materials and labour to about R1.1m.

Shabangu also supplied an additional R600,000 worth of furniture and custom curtains through her furniture store, bringing the total renovation costs to R1.7m between 2018 and 2020. Shabangu confirmed that all payments were made in cash, noting that this was standard practice for Mapisa-Nqakula dating back to 2004 because she did not know how to make Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs). She testified that these cash handovers took place in private, conducted either by Mapisa-Nqakula herself, her husband Charles Nqakula, or the couple together.

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Of the R600,000 owed for decor, Shabangu said she received R400,000 in installments between 2018 and 2020, with the final payment occurring in 2022. The remaining R200,000 balance for curtains was never settled. Shabangu stated that she did not press Mapisa-Nqakula for the money due to their close relationship, noting she had promised to settle the debt using her pension upon retiring in 2024. He still has not paid her even today.

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