South Africa’s National Assembly parliament speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula is being accused of corruption, with prosecutors alleging that she accepted a bribe of $135,000 (KSh18 million) along with a wig.

In a report by africanews, speaker Nosiviwe is yet be charged or arrested following the prosecutors failure to adhere to correct procedures in informing her of the allegations.

The judge was expected to rule on a stay of arrest on Monday.

According to evidence produced in court during the hearing, Speaker Nosiviwe received 11 payments totaling $135,000 between December 2016 and July 2019.

For instance, in one occasion in February 2019, Nosiviwe received more than $15,000 and a wig during a meeting at South African main international airport.

However, the identity of the person who paid the bribes has not been disclosed.

Meanwhile, Speaker Nosiviwe has been urged to surrender herself at any police station in the country and be taken to court to be formally charged.

“She has taken a leave of absence from her role as Parliament speaker. She was previously accused of taking bribes, but a parliamentary investigation was dropped in 2021. The case re-emerged after a whistleblower came forward last year,” prosecutors said.

The prosecutors added that they would not oppose her bail application.

Nosiviwe however denied the corruption allegations leveled against her, adding that she would cooperate with authorities in the case. This was after investigating officers searched her home in Johannesburg and seized some evidence to be used in the case.