South African state prosecutors reinstate bribery charges against former minister

A former government minister and senior figure in the African National Congress (ANC) will face bribery charges, South African state prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Zizi Kodwa was arrested in 2024 while serving as Minister for Sports and Arts. He was accused of taking $85,000 in bribes in connection with contracts to upgrade and maintain software systems in Johannesburg.

But local prosecutors withdrew the charges months later, saying the prospects of a successful prosecution were slim.

National authorities briefly revived the case in January before setting it aside once again. Now state prosecutors have decided to go ahead.

Data from 2019 suggests that corruption could have cost South Africa more than $31 billion – then about a tenth of the country’s GDP.

Earlier this month, ANC parliamentarian Vincent Smith became the first top official to be jailed on fraud and corruption charges.

Long-standing claims of corruption and mismanagement have tarnished the ANC’s reputation, contributing to the loss of its parliamentary majority in 2024.