“Finally My Name is Cleared” — NPA ‘drops’ Charges against ANC leader

Lately, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has a distasteful culture of rapidly charging people without having a solid case, which frequently results in the agency having rotten eggs on their faces when such allegations miserably fail to hold up to court scrutiny.

This is once more the situation this morning, following the former KwaZulu-Natal ANC deputy chairperson Mike Mabuyakhulu’s confirmation that his corruption trial has been dropped.

Mabuyakhulu told journalists outside the court that he feels completely vindicated that the rule of law which he ardently subscribes to, has cleared his name.

“We still believe truly in the rule of law and therefore, and therefore, we think, all this, finally our name has been cleared,” Mabuyakhulu said.

Former KwaZulu Natal MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu speaks out after his R28m corruption trial dropped. Video: SANDILE NDLOVU @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/ilG79bnSTs

— Sandile Ndlovu (@sandysndlovu) May 30, 2023

He was arrested two years ago over charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering regarding a whopping R28-million which was paid for a North Sea Jazz Festival by the KwaZulu-Natal government, an event that never materialised.

And in early 2021, Mabuyakhulu took the conscious decision to step aside from his duties in line with the then highly-contentious rule, effectively becoming the first ANC member to adhere to the rule.

It’s not particularly clear if the NPA provisionally withdrawn the charges against him or it’s the judge who expunged the case, in any case, we will have to wait and see if Mabuyakhulu will be a free man for how long.

Quite curiously, but interesting is how the ANC will handle his re-integration into its political bodies, since he were not successfully prosecuted.

It might appear unfair that his political career was put on hold for no reason, which obviously has disadvantaged politically as he was unable to complete his term and new leadership was since elected last year.