The speaker of South Africa’s National Assembly on Wednesday resigned after a judge cleared the way for her to be arrested on charges that she took bribes when she served as defense minister.
The resignation of the speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is coming amid a tense, weekslong standoff with law enforcement officials over a corruption case that has dealt a blow to the governing African National Congress two months before a critical national election.
On Tuesday, a judge threw out Ms. Mapisa-Nqakula’s court application seeking to prevent her arrest. As of Wednesday afternoon, she had not turned herself in to the authorities.
Ms. Mapisa-Nqakula, who fought against the apartheid regime as an A.N.C. activist in exile, maintained her innocence in a news release announcing her resignation.
Part of her decision to step down, she said, was to “protect the image of our organization, the African National Congress.”
”My resignation is in no way an indication or admission of guilt regarding the allegations being leveled against me.
“I have made this decision in order to uphold the integrity and sanctity of our Parliament, ” she said.
