Thokozani Mtshali
The New National Party in Mpumalanga withdrew the former mayor of Ethanduk’ukhanya township in Piet Retief from its election list following his arrest for attempted armed robbery, attempted murder and fraud.
Alpheus Msibi, who was chair of the NNP in Piet Retief, and his nephew were arrested in November last year and charged with the attempted armed robbery of a wholesaler in the town. Msibi was also charged with orchestrating the attempted murder of Cyril Mtshali, a businessman to whom he owed money. He also faces a number of fraud charges.
Msibi was denied bail. According to investigating officer Koos Marx, this was because of Msibi’s past history. In 1992 he shot and killed his wife, for which he received a 10-year suspended sentence.
Some in the NNP’s Piet Retief leadership believe Msibi’s arrest will damage the party’s reputation and negatively affect their election campaign.
“Given his actions, his suspension was inevitable,” said Rob Wilson, the deputy leader of the NNP in Piet Retief, who suspects Msibi is a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party and only wanted to use the NNP to win a seat after the elections.
In 1997, Msibi’s bodyguard, Platus Kheswa – a self-confessed IFP killer – told a Truth and Reconciliation Commission amnesty hearing that Msibi and police officers were behind the spate of political killings in Piet Retief between 1990 and 1993.
In 1996, Msibi illegally sold housing sites at Mangosuthu Village in Piet Retief to IFP supporters. The town council instituted a claim against Msibi and the Pretoria High Court ordered him to repay R70 000.
“Until today, we haven’t recovered that money. The other 10 people who were included with him as defendants cannot be traced,” said Wilson.
Wilson said he had complained several times about the NNP’s decision to allow Msibi to continue being a member and leader.
“On many occasions, he [Mbisi] wrote letters on behalf of the IFP demanding that Piet Retief be incorporated into KwaZulu-Natal. Thereafter, the IFP staged a series of marches supporting that call. I think the man has his own agenda but wanted to use the NNP as a vehicle to achieve that,” said Wilson.
The NNP had to pay more than R14 000 to settle Msibi’s outstanding debts for services with the council before he could be allowed to contest the local government elections in 1997.
Wilson said this was after closed negotiations between Msibi and leaders of the NNP. “I was never told about it. I only heard about it after his arrest.”
NNP regional leader Kevin Evans said the party’s top leadership knew little about Msibi’s background, but he confirmed Msibi had been suspended pending the court case and that his name has been “entirely removed from the party’s list” for provincial Parliament.