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NPA says not end of the road for the case involving former Mpumalanga MEC Msibi

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The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) contends this is not the end of the road for the case involving former Mpumalanga MEC for Agriculture Mandla Msibi.

All charges against Msibi have been provisionally withdrawn in the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela. Msibi and his five co-accused were charged with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

“We took a decision of provisionally withdrawing the charges against all the accused, pending the outcome information. Once that information has been obtained an informed decision will be taken,” says Mpumalanga NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.

Msibi and his co-accused were accused of fatally shooting two people and wounding another outside a liquor store in Mbombela. Msibi maintained that the charges were politically-motivated.

Mpumalanga Premier Refiloe Mtsweni-Tsipane immediately fired him from her cabinet.

Msibi was in the dock for a double murder trial and his comrades were present to support him.

Among them two former MECs, Pat Ngomane and Gillion Mashego.

Judge Brian Mashile wasted no time to provisionally withdraw all the charges against Mandla Msibi and his five co-accused. They are free for now.

“It was expected from the onset that this thing is malicious and fabricated. So there’s nothing surprising of today’s decision,” says Msibi.

The provincial ANC Deputy Secretary Lindiwe Ntshalintshali has cautioned party leadership against pursuing narrow political interests.

“Where are those instigators, those who were perpetuating lies, ANC must be very carefully not to allow violation of rights of comrades. They must not be taken for a ride, by comrades who have physical agenda other than what the ANC stands for,” says Ntshalintshali.

Msibi was elected the ANC provincial Treasurer in April.

He immediately stepped aside, as advised by the ruling party leadership pending the conclusion of his case. With the matter out of the way, it remains to be seen whether he will be welcomed back into the provincial cabinet.

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