South African Speaker resigns amid corruption case

South Africa’s Parliament speaker and ANC member Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula gave up her seat, after she lost a bid that would block her arrest over a corruption case.

The Speaker, like many of ANC leaders, is accused of receiving bribes amounting to 135,000 dollars from a defense contractor when she was defense minister.

Her case highlights rampant corruption within the ruling ANC elites as the country braces for presidential elections in two months, at a context of rising poverty, endemic unemployment, and failing public services such as electricity and water supply.

Recent polls show the party could at best receive 50% of the votes, the lowest estimate since the end of apartheid.