The PDC acquitted Tshabalala, who is a strong and close ally to suspended Ace Magashule, on two counts and ruled that evidence against him was mere gossip. 

Magashule's ally was charged and suspended as the ANC's chief whip at the Provincial Legislature after he was accused of working with opposition parties to topple the ruling party in the Qwaqwa-based Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality.

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Tshabalala was replaced by former and then ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) spokesperson, Thabo Meeko, who acted as the chief whip. 

The report in relation to the verdict on Tshabalala's hearing has it that one of the witnesses, who was listed as a witness by the Interim Provincial Committee (IPC), denied ever being present during a certain meeting where Tshabalala was said to have coerced his comrade to stand in opposition against the party for the elections.

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Tshabalala was represented by the ANC stalwart and struggle icon Mathews Phosa. 

The hearing into the said charges against Tshabalala sat in May this year after it was postponed in December.

OFM News previously reported that  Tshabalala characterised his suspension as a witch-hunt against him.

He told OFM News that his suspension was always on the cards because of his support for the legally embattled Magashule. 

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He accused the ANC’s IPC led by its Convenor, Mxolisi Dukwana, who is a known Magashule adversary and part of the CR17 faction in the ANC, of a witch-hunt against him.

The IPC spokesperson, Oupa Khoabane, said Tshabalala was accused of supporting independent candidates for the 2021 November local government elections (LGE).

He said Tshabalala's suspension from the ANC's activities was in line with the call by the community of the Free State for improvement in services delivered by different spheres of government.

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In November, 2021 disciplinary proceedings were abruptly postponed following the alleged tension between the suspended whip and the disciplinary committee's chairperson.

Tshabalala’s disciplinary hearing on 23 November was postponed to 6 December after Tshabalala accused the chairperson of the committee of turning the hearing into a trial within a trial.  He had requested the chairperson of the disciplinary committee to recuse himself due to a conflict of interest.

In October 2021, another strong ally of Magashule was fired from his post as a MEC.

Free State Premier, Sisi Ntombela, who is also part of the ANC's IPC structure which replaced the now disbanded PEC, fired Sam Mashinini as the MEC for Police, Roads and Transport. The former ANC PEC chairperson was then replaced by William Bulwane.

OFM News