Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit) – The African National Congress (ANC) has found its treasurer in Mpumalanga Mandla Msibi guilty of misconduct and suspended him from the party for three years.
The ANC announced its findings and sanction on Wednesday during a media briefing in Mbombela.
The ANC said two years have been suspended on the condition that Msibi does not commit similar offences during this period.
Msibi, who is also the Mpumalanga Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, was temporarily suspended by the ANC in January this year together with the branch secretary of Ward 23 Mbombela sub-region Mandla Mhlanga and party member Bhuda Mdluli.
Earlier this year the trio were accused of plotting to sabotage the January 8 Statement that was presided over by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa at Mbombela Stadium.
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Mpumalanga ANC Secretary Muzi Chirwa, flanked by Mpumalanga ANC spokesperson Sasekani Manzini, told reporters that after the disciplinary process, Msibi was found guilty and suspended, while his co-accused Mdluli was expelled from the party.
However, Mhlanga was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Chriwa said the measures were not aimed at destroying comrades who defied the ANC code of conduct, but at educating, rehabilitating, and forgiving them.
“The membership of Cde Mandla Msibi is hereby suspended for three years,” Chirwa announced.
“The provincial disciplinary committee suspends the operation of the sanction for two years.
“This means that the imposed sanction will be effective for only one-year.
“However, if he commits similar offences within a period of the initial sanction, the sanction of three years will automatically kick in,” Chirwa said.
Chirwa added: “On Cde Sibusiso Bhuda Mdluli, he is found guilty on all counts and the sanction is immediate expulsion from the ANC.
“A detailed report on the judgment will be submitted in due course.
“There was no tangible evidence against Cde Mandla Mhlanga except that he communicated the resolutions which the PDC is of the view that they are not his views alone as an individual leader, but of a collective.
“All charges against Comrade Mandla Mhlanga are hereby dismissed.”
With the general elections set for next month, on 29 May, it was unlikely that Msibi would be removed as MEC before then.
In 2021, Msibi was arrested in connection with a double murder but charges were dropped by the Mpumalanga High Court, in Mbombela.
The charges had emanated from the fatal shooting of Sipho Lubisi and Dingane Ngwenya, as well as the injury of Sifiso Mpila outside a liquor outlet in Mbombela in August 2021.
Msibi denied any involvement in the murders.
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