Mandla Msibi Suspended by the Mpumalanga ANC Due To Misco

Picture courtesy: Njabulo Mthethwa shared via Facebook

Maria Baloyi

(The post News)– Mandla Msibi, the Mpumalanga ANC’s provincial treasurer and MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, has been suspended for misconduct.

Msibi’s membership was suspended for three years for breaking the party’s constitution. However, two years have been suspended if he is not convicted of a comparable offense within that time.

Sibusiso Mdluli has also been expelled from the party. Mandla Mhlanga was not convicted on any of the accusations, as he was not found guilty. The ANC announced this at a media briefing in Mbombela.

Msibi had previously clashed with his organization. He was accused of attempting to undermine the party’s January 8 statement in Mbombela. Msibi and a co-accused, Sibusiso Bhuda Mdluli, were found guilty of misconduct. Mdluli was eventually dismissed from the ANC.

The members allegedly demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa meet with them in Pioneer, outside White River, on the day of the January 8 celebration. According to ANC provincial secretary Muzi Chirwa, “Comrade Mandla Msibi’s membership is suspended for three years, with the remaining two years suspended on the condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offense during the suspension term.

Comrade Mandla Mahlangu was unanimously found not guilty of all accusations before the PC. Nevertheless, Comrade Sibusiso Sbhuda was found guilty on practically all counts, and the consequence was an instant exclusion from the ANC.

The ANC claims that the decision to suspend the party members was not easy to make. According to Chirwa, the ANC has not yet made recommendations on the ruling and Msibi’s placement in government.

Political analyst Solly Masilela believes that the ANC’s decision to suspend Nsibi and remove Mdluli demonstrates that the organization is realigning itself with the party leadership’s advocacy for renewal and discipline.

“You would recall that he has in the past had ups and runs with the ANC in terms of compliance. You will remember that at some stage he was reportedly implicated; he was in an environment where a member was subsequently arrested, and the ANC kept him out of the ANC because his case was struck off the roll.”

This means that Msibi, a political heavyweight in Mpumalanga with widespread support, will be excluded from the ANC’s election campaign and will have to watch from the sidelines because his membership in the party has been suspended.

As a result, just days after his election, the ANC in the province was without a provincial treasurer.