Controversial Mpumalanga ANC heavyweight and former party provincial treasurer, Mandla Msibi, has been slapped with a three-year suspension by his party for misconduct.
This, after the party will arguably face the toughest elections on May 29 since governing the country from 1994.
Msibi, also MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the province, was suspended after the party found him guilty of violating its constitution.
He was suspended for three years, however, two years have been suspended, provided he is not found guilty of the same offence in that period. This means he is effectively in the political wilderness for one year.
He and two others had initially been suspended after the party’s 2024 January 8 celebrations held at the Mbombela Stadium this year.
The party accused Msibi of attempting to sabotage the 112th birthday celebrations by lobbying his supporters to boycott the event.
Chief among the protests, prior to the January 8 celebrations, were that he had made several demands on the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa to call an urgent Cabinet meeting to resolve the matter pertaining to the multibillion-rand Nkosi Smart City project.
On Wednesday the party’s spokesperson Sasekani Manzini said: “The membership of comrade Mandla Msibi is suspended for three years, with two years suspended on condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offence during the period of suspension.
“Then on comrade Mandla Mhlanga – on all the counts put before the provincial disciplinary committee – we unanimously agree that he was not found guilty.
“On comrade Sibusiso Sbuda – on almost all the counts, he is found guilty and the sanction is an expulsion from the ANC with immediate effect.”
Msibi was found guilty on four of five counts he was facing.
“Our constitution clearly stipulates that disciplinary proceedings in the ANC should never be used to stifle debate or internal democracy.
“This is because the ANC has never been a punitive organisation, but has always taken the approach of re-educating, rehabilitating, and forgiving comrades,” Manzini said.
The Star