With the step aside rule hovering, newly elected Mpumalanga African National Congress (ANC) chairperson Mandla Ndlovu says his win is the beginning of unity.

Ndlovu was speaking during the Mpumalanga ANC Elective Conference over the weekend, where he said that it was time that the ANC united and ended factions.

He aims to disband all lobbying teams in the province.

“When we prepare for the conferences we always have lobbying teams but this time we are putting an end to it. From here on, we request all delegates and structures in the ANC, including those that contested, to accept the outcome of the conference and support one another,” Ndlovu said.

The newly elected chairperson says that he is being misquoted as being Cyril Ramaphosa’s ally for asking him to return for second term as party president.

“All I was saying is that as a disciplined cadre of the ANC, you cannot say no when you are called by branches to serve. This applies to any member of this party to accept the call,” he said.

Ndlovu also said that the reports about the Mpumalanga ANC infighting and violence are being highly exaggerated.

“People are blowing the rate of violence within the Mpumalanga ANC [out of proportion] and I don’t understand and also don’t agree with that. We do have our own problems like any other province and are also capable of dealing with those problems,” said Ndlovu.

He was asked if the top five will function well without the presence of the newly elected treasurer Mandla Msibi who will not be allowed to assume his leadership role until his case is finalised by the courts.

He is facing charges of murder and attempted murder following a shooting incident in August last year.

“It is fortunate that it will be the four members of the top five because for the past five years it was just the three of us - we will manage,” Ndlovu said.

Msibi, in his defence, said that the step aside rule does not apply to him as he was not mentioned in the crime docket.

“According to my layman knowledge you only step aside when you are charged and even my legal team agrees,” he said.

He said that he will be requesting a meeting with the elected ANC leadership, where he will present to them the docket and further seek advice on the steps he needs to take.

“In the charge sheet I am charged with double murder and attempted murder but inside the docket, there is nowhere I am mentioned in such crimes. If leadership feels that I am charged, then I will gladly step aside,” Msibi said.

His team is currently challenging the charges.