South African Speaker Faces Imminent Arrest on $240,000 Bribery Charges
• South Africa's parliamentary speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, faces imminent arrest on corruption charges after a court dismissed her bid to block the arrest.
• Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of receiving bribes from a defense contractor while serving as defense minister between 2016-2019.
• Prosecutors say she received 11 payments totaling $135,000 and sought another bribe of $105,000.
• Opposition lawmakers have called for Mapisa-Nqakula to step down from her position as speaker due to the allegations.
• Mapisa-Nqakula is the latest senior African National Congress leader to face corruption charges ahead of tough national elections this year.