South Africa’s ‘President in Waiting’ Arrested in Corruption Probe

Investigators say speaker of parliament took bribes in exchange for awarding lucrative military contracts.

Former Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula sits in the dock for her court appearance at the Pretoria Magistrate Court in Pretoria on April 4, 2024. Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG—A week ago, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, 67, was the powerful speaker of the South African Parliament and third in line for the presidency of Africa’s largest and most developed economy.

Today, the veteran anti-apartheid activist from the governing African National Congress (ANC) is awaiting trial on 12 counts of corruption and money laundering.