[4][5][6] On 26 July 2021, Mahlaba appeared in the Newcastle Magistrate's Court on charges of robbery, attempted murder, malicious damage to property, theft and incitement of violence and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm over an incident in September 2020 where Mahlaba, Njabulo Mabaso, Sgananda Shezi assaulted employees of a fibre subcontractor in the Aviary Hill area in Newcastle.
[7][8] In August, the provincial ANC leadership removed Mahlaba as a councillor candidate ahead of the local government elections due to the charges.
[13] In June 2022, Mahlaba announced his intention to contest a leadership position at the ANC's provincial elective conference in July 2022.
[14] He was on ANC MPL Siboniso Duma's "Taliban" slate, a group of candidates sympathetic to former party president Jacob Zuma.
Before Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube's election and inauguration as premier, Mahlaba was sworn in as a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on 10 August.