Before falling ill in court, former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula testified she struggled with EFTs and relied on cash to pay workers during the R1.8-million renovations at her Joburg home. Her legal team says her doctor will advise whether she is fit to return to court.

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's evidence was cut short on Wednesday, 9 September, after she fell ill during a court break and required medical attention, but before she left court she testified about why workers renovating her home in Bruma, Johannesburg, were paid in cash.

The former defence minister and National Assembly speaker was asked about the payments during her evidence in chief in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, where she is on trial on corruption and money-laundering charges.

The court heard earlier in the trial that the renovations to her Johannesburg home, cost between R1.6-million and R1.8-million and included about R600,000 for curtains.

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She, however, disputed these figures, suggesting they were exaggerated and that they included art and furniture.

Mapisa-Nqakula's lawyer, Siyabulela Mapoma, asked her why she had paid interior designer Nomsa Patricia Betty Shabangu in cash rather than using electronic transfers.

"Why did you use cash to pay Nomsa and not use any other form of payment?" he asked.

"I am not an EFT person. Ever since they did away with cheques, I struggled," Mapisa-Nqakula said.

She said it had taken her years to learn how to use electronic transfers and that she only became comfortable with them after retiring....