Overview
- The interior designer testified on Tuesday that renovations, furnishings and curtains for the Bruma home cost about R1.6–R1.8 million and that she was paid in cash throughout the project.
- An engineer told the court he received cash deposits of R20,000 and R50,000 for design and approval work on the same job.
- A former chief financial investigator testified on Thursday that the Mapisa‑Nqakulas’ bank withdrawals could not plausibly cover the cash outlays and that the repeated cash payments were consistent with money laundering.
- A key prospective witness, advocate Zola Majavu, declared a conflict of interest when sworn and stepped down without giving evidence, a development the prosecution described as a setback.
- The State alleges roughly R2.1 million in corrupt payments from a defence contractor funded the work while the defence has challenged the investigator’s qualifications, amended errors in his report and disputed direct links between WhatsApp messages and cash transfers.