Msibi and co-accused granted bail
MBOMBELA - Following a week-long stay behind bars, the former MEC for agriculture in Mpumalanga, Mandla Msibi, has finally been released on bail.
Msibi, who handed himself over to the police on Monday October
11, was granted R20 000 bail by the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The ANC strongman was charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. He was charged alongside four other suspects, Anele Mnisi, Joseph Ngwenya, Tsepo Matsane and Njabulo Mkhondo. They are are also out on
R20 000 bail.
On Tuesday, Msibi received a hero’s welcome from hundreds of
ANC supporters mostly from within Mbombela, Gert Sibande and Nkomazi.
When addressing the crowd, Msibi spoke of the ill treatment he had suffered at the hands of the police and the decision to relieve him from his duties by Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane as an abuse of state power.
“We were told that our departments were going to be investigated, but to date there have been no results. This was just meant to be a rebuke in public so as to be seen as corrupt individuals. The reason behind all of this was motivated by the fact that we were the ones opposing their views. This is an abuse of state power to paddle those who have different views using state agency security,” he said.
Msibi said he would report all of this to the officials of the national ANC.
“My life has been tested many times,” he charged.
He singled out four current MECs in Mpumalanga who are also key players behind the plan to tarnish his name at all costs.
“This is about the ANC provincial conference and the list of candidates,” he said.
Regarding the case itself, Msibi said the investigating officer did not even take statements from him.
“I never knew I was wanted by the police for this case. They arrested two of our comrades Hollywood style using 19 police vehicles in Pienaar.
“According to the court papers, the victims first went to report a case after their vehicle had been shot at, but they said the suspects were unknown. Secondly, after the shooting and killing of the two, no one went to the police to open a case. The investigating officer took the first statement four days after the incident. This raises questions, such as who they were consulting all these days,” questioned Msibi.
“I want to challenge members of the media to go to the secretary of the ANC to check if the people who were shot and killed were indeed members of the ANC. From where I am standing, I can tell you they were not,” he said.
Msibi said the truth would come out and liars and schemers would be revealed.