No legal obstacle prevents the State from arresting embattled National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Last month, she filed an urgent application to stop the police from arresting her. Yet, the High Court in Pretoria decided that a court cannot halt statutory authorities from performing their duties.

Mapisa-Nqakula is under investigation for corruption and money laundering and faces 12 charges for accepting bribes totaling just over R4.5m.