By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has provisionally withdrawn all charges against former Mpumalanga agriculture MEC Mandla Msibi and his five co-accused.
Msibi and his co-accused on Monday appeared briefly in the Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Mbombela for the start of their trial.
Judge Brian Mashile of the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela released Msibi along with his co-accused Joseph Charlie Ngwenya, Tsepo Eddie Matsane, Anele Sonke Mnisi, Njabulo Mkhonto and Sibusiso Vincent Mdhluli.
Msibi and his five co-accused faced two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
They were accused of fatally shooting Sipho Lubisi and Dingane Ngwenya, as well as injuring Sifiso Mpila outside a liquor outlet in Mbombela.
The shooting incident is understood to be related to party infighting over the ANC’s candidate list processes ahead of last November’s local government elections.
NPA regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa confirmed that the charges were withdrawn due to outstanding information detected by the prosecution team, which the NPA felt it would not be in the interest of justice to proceed with the trial without it.
“We took the decision of provisionally withdrawing the charges against all accused pending the outcome of the outstanding information. Once that information has been obtained, then an informed decision will be taken,” Nyuswa told the media outside court.
She could not divulge the outstanding information or when it might be obtained by the prosecution, only stating that the information was sensitive and would be revealed during the trial.
In April, Msibi was elected as the African National Congress (ANC) Treasurer however, he agreed to step aside, given the fact that Msibi was facing murder and attempted murder charges.
Acting Secretary-General Paul Mashatile wrote to Msibi, reminding him of the resolutions of the 54th national conference.
ANC Mpumalanga Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) was appointed Speedy Mashilo as Acting-Treasurer, who was elected deputy chairperson.