Key witnesses make a U-turn in Msibi’s case
It is alleged that Msibi was involved in the shooting that resulted in the deaths of two people and the injury of a third in Mbombela on August 22.
In a dramatic twist of events, two witnesses who had implicated the ANC Mpumalanga treasurer, Mandla Msibi, in a murder rap, have withdrawn their statements.
Information at Mpumalanga News’ disposal suggest that the two witnesses had claimed they were pressed by a regional ANC leader, known to the paper, to implicate Msibi in this case.
They now say they actually never saw who had discharged the firearm that led to two people dying. Before the witnesses had withdrawn their statements, the paper had seen copies of their sworn affidavits and statements in which they all stated that they actually saw Msibi shooting Sifiso Mpila, who happened to survive the ordeal.
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Nowhere in their statements does it mention they had seen him shooting Sindela Sipho Lubisi and Dingane Ngwenya, both of whom had died. Msibi was, however, charged with double murder and one case of attempted murder.
This shooting incident happened outside Coyote’s Shisa Nyama in Mbombela on August 22, 2021, just months away from the ANC provincial conference, which was eventually held on April 9 at the Witbank Dam.
Msibi and some members of the ANC have always maintained that this case was nothing but a political ploy aimed at discrediting and harming his reputation.
During this conference, Msibi was elected as the party’s treasurer. He recently stepped aside as treasurer as per the ANC’s rules.
On Thursday February 24, Msibi’s lawyer, Coert Jordan, told the court that he had seen letters from two key witnesses intending to withdraw their statements which implicated Msibi and his coaccused. Jordan suggested that the state was handed copies of withdrawal affidavits from a lawyer representing the two witnesses.
The National Prosecution Authority said it was not in possession of any withdrawal statements, but looked forward to the case to resume in September. Msibi has always maintained that he was a marked man and that there was a plot to assassinate him even before he was arrested for these charges. He made it known that some of his cabinet colleagues were politically conspiring against him, which had manifested when one of them had spread rumours that he was guilty of fatally shooting people.
When he was arrested, he claimed that he was driven around in handcuffs for four hours even though he had handed himself over to the police. He said when he complained that the handcuffs were hurting him, the police threatened to shoot and kill him. His bail application was also delayed, which he claimed was done deliberately. At one point, the application had to be heard in an outdoor space because of a bomb threat in court. Pressed to comment, Msibi said he was not at liberty to speak about the case as it was still sub judice.
