The African National Congress (ANC) in Mpumalanga has suspended the membership of its provincial treasurer, Mandla Msibi,for misconduct. Msibi and two other ANC members in the province were charged for trying to sabotage the party's 112th anniversary celebrations in Mbombela. Msibi, Sibusiso Bhuda Mdluli and Mandla Mhlanga, were temporarily suspended in January after they allegedly demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa meets them in Pienaar on the day of the January 8 Statement celebration.

FOUND GUILTY 

The three were found guilty and Msibi's was been suspended for three years for violating the party's constitution with two years suspended provided he is not found guilty of the same offence during the period. Provincial secretary Muzi Chirwa announced the suspension during a media briefing today."The Provincial Executive Committee has received a report following this decision of the Provincial Working Committee from the Provincial Disciplinary Committee, which pertains to the three comrades in question. Having looked at all the issues and deliberated on the matters at hand and arrived at a sanction, wherein it resolved as a verdict that the membership of Comrade Msibi is suspended for a period of three years, of which two years have been suspended on condition that he is not found guilty of similar offences during the period of suspension," said Chirwa. He added that Mhlanga was not found guilty on all charges while Sbuda was found guilty and was expelled from the ANC with immediate effect.

ARRESTS 

Msibi, who is former President Jacob Zuma's ally and supported him during the road to the 2022 ANC Elective Conference that was won by Cyril Ramaphosa was arrested in 2018 on charges ranging from assault, attempted murder theft and malicious damage to property. He was accused of running a vigilante group in Pienaar, where he lives. He was acquitted of all the charges in August 2021. Hardly two weeks after his acquittal, he was arrested and charged with the double murder of Sindela Lubisi and Dingaan Ngwenya and the attempted murder of Sfiso Mpila in August 2021 in Mbombela. In September 2021, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew the double murder charges against him and he resumed his duties as the treasurer, which had previously been taken over by the party's provincial deputy chair, Speed Mashilo. He was fired as the MEC of Agriculture in the province.