Five Mpumalanga ANC members have been arrested in connection with the murder of a fellow member who was beaten during a meeting meant to nominate leadership in the province.

Prince Manzini, 45, was beaten during an ANC nomination meeting on March 15, over what members labelled the leadership preference between acting chairperson Mandla Ndlovu and premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane.

Ndlovu and Mtshweni-Tsipane are vying for the position of chairperson of the ANC which was left vacant when former chairperson David Mabuza was elected deputy president of the ANC in December 2017.

The conference had to be stopped after the outbreak of Covid-19 after the party in the province failed numerous times to hold a provincial general council to replace Mabuza and his former deputy, Violet Siwela.

Five men between the ages of 27 and 37 were arrested on Friday by the Mpumalanga police and are appearing at the magistrate's court on Monday.

“Five men aged between 27 and 37 are due to appear at the Kabokweni magistrate's court tomorrow, Monday 20 July 2020, for murder and other charges. The suspects were arrested on Friday 17 July 2020 on these allegations that took place at Kabokwemi on 15 March 2020.

"Reports suggest that Manzini was murdered in a meeting held in a hall at Gutshwa in Kabokweni. In that meeting, a scuffle broke out where Manzini was badly beaten and taken to the nearby clinic where he succumbed to his injuries,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Leonard Hlathi.

Hlathi said the men are facing charges of murder, public violence, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and intimidation.