Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Pretoria - ANC spokesperson in Mpumalanga Ngelosi Ndlovu says senior official Mandla Msibi is expected to resume work today following the withdrawal of double murder charges against him.
The charges against the fired Mpumalanga Agriculture and Rural Development MEC and his five co-accused were provisionally withdrawn yesterday to allow prosecutors to obtain information that is crucial to the case.
Ndlovu said: “The ANC would like to express its appreciation to Comrade Mandla Msibi for conducting himself in a disciplined manner throughout the court processes and for respecting the ANC’s step-aside rule. Comrade Msibi will resume his responsibilities as the ANC provincial treasurer.
Msibi, 46, was removed from the provincial government in October last year following his arrest on two charges of murder and one of attempt murder. The charges related to a shooting at Mbombela’s Chesa Nyama hangout spot, where two ANC members, Dingaan Ngwenya and Sindela Lubisi, were gunned down on August 22, 2021.
A third victim had to be hospitalised due to gunshot wounds.
Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane fired Msibi after he was allegedly linked to the murder and formally charged. This sparked an outcry and conspiracy theories from Msibi’s supporters, who suggested his removal from office was politically orchestrated.
The formal criminal charges nearly derailed Msibi’s political ambitions as a fierce ANC organiser, when he was forced to step aside from his party duties ahead of this year’s ANC provincial elective conference in eMalahleni.
Despite being charged and not attending the provincial conference, Msibi emerged as the provincial treasurer of the ANC under Mandla Ndlovu’s triumphant Focus faction. Msibi agreed not to assume office until he was cleared of all charges against him.
“Charges against Mandla Msibi and his five co-accused have been provisionally withdrawn due to outstanding information. We felt it would not be in the interests of justice to proceed with the trial without (the information),” NPA provincial spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said yesterday.
The charges against Msibi could still be reinstated at a later stage, Nyuswa said, should the outstanding information be obtained, but that depended on a NPA decision on whether to prosecute or not. “Once that information has been obtained a decision will be made.”
The NPA denied rumours that witnesses against Msibi had withdrawn their statements. “That is simply not true,” Nyuswa said. Since their arrest in September last year, Msibi and his co-accused had all been released on bail.
Before firing Msibi as MEC, Mtshweni-Tsipane had warned him over his public statements allegedly threatening to kill looters during last year’s July unrest that left more than 300 people dead. Msibi was captured on a video that went viral on social media, allegedly threatening acts of vigilantism against looters, which led to Mtshweni-Tsipane privately reprimanding him.
In the video, Msibi could be heard warning would-be looters in Pienaar outside Mbombela, that they should not emulate the rioters in Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng. “We will not hesitate to put a bullet into the forehead of a person who wants to disrupt the government,” he allegedly told the crowd.
It is yet to be seen how Mtshweni-Tsipane will survive Msibi’s imminent return to the ANC’s provincial executive committee, which has allowed her to continue as the political leader of the provincial government.
Msibi and ANC provincial spokesperson Ngelosi Ndlovu were not immediately available for comment.
Outside court yesterday, Msibi lambasted his ANC comrades for “betraying him”. He said the only person he is able to trust was provincial ANC deputy secretary Lindiwe Ntshalintshali. “I’ve been made to suffer. I am not angry (at) anyone, but the truth must come out. I promised that at the right time I’ll share information with national ANC officials.”
Pretoria News