Former MEC and five others in the dock for murder of two ANC members last year

The investigation into the murder of two ANC members, Sindela Sipho Lubisi and Dingane Ngwenya, has been finalised. On Tuesday, the State handed the indictment, setting out the charges against the accused, to the defence.

A third person was wounded during the shooting incident that happened on 22 August 2021 at Coyotes Pub & Shisa Nyama in Nelspruit. Ngwenya died of multiple gunshot wounds.

The accused are the former Mpumalanga Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs MEC Mandla Jeffrey Msibi (46), Joseph Charlie Ngwenya (35), Tshepo Eddy Matbane (34), Anele Sonke Mnisi (26), Njabulo Dennis Mkhonto (28) and Sibusiso Vincent Mdhluli (46).

On Tuesday, the National Prosecuting Authority’s Mpumalanga spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, confirmed that the case had been transferred to the high court and the trial set for 5-16 September 2022.

The accused each face two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and ammunition, malicious damage to property and defeating the ends of justice.

The shooting, according to the investigating officer, happened after a disagreement over the party’s candidates list verification, held at Nutting House Lodge, outside Mbombela.

A group of 15 people allegedly attacked the three ANC members, who were sitting in a car in the parking lot.

“The accused shot both the deceased while they were inside the motor vehicle. The accused continued to shoot both deceased after they alighted from the motor vehicle,” the indictment read.

A third person managed to escape and was shot and wounded while running away. 

The indictment further reads: “The State alleges that the murder was pre-planned and/or premeditated and that at all relevant times the accused acted jointly in the furtherance of a criminal agreement and/or common purpose in committing the foresaid offences.” 

Msibi, accompanied by his attorney, handed himself over on 11 October 2021 to the police in Nelspruit. At the time of Msibi’s arrest, he was an ANC provincial executive committee member and head of elections in the province. However, following his arrest, Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane fired Msibi.

Immediately after his release Msibi told supporters outside court that he wanted a meeting with the ANC National Executive Committee and that he wanted to open a can of worms about political killings.

He told the crowd “there was a plot to get [him] killed” and he wanted a meeting with the ANC top brass to clear the air.

From the outset, Msibi has denied any involvement in the double murder. On the day of the shooting, Msibi went to Coyotes after he was asked to buy food for delegates at the lodge. He further claims that as he drove out he was told by police that there had been a shooting.

The double murder and Msibi’s release on bail came after revelations were made by whistle-blower Pompie Ledwaba, who said that 37 political killings from 2009-2017 were committed under a high-profile ANC figure’s tenure in Mpumalanga. In August 2016, it was reported that there had been at least 20 political assassinations in the run-up to the local government elections on 3 August that year. DM

 

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