Supra is toast
North West government to be put under administration as premier resigns today
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet is set to put the North West government under administration today, just hours after the resignation of controversial premier Supra Mahumapelo.
Mahumapelo is expected to officially announce his resignation at a press conference at 10am.
The ANC in the province last night accepted Mahumapelo’s resignation and thanked him for putting the interests of the province and its people before his own.
“We accept with a sense of apprehension, but great pride, the decision by our provincial chairperson Cde [comrade] Supra Mahumapelo to voluntarily exit from his deployment as premier,” said the party in a statement.
“We know that he will continue to serve his movement the ANC in whatever new role we will decide for him ...
“We still believe in Cde Supra’s innocence until he’s proven otherwise.”
Mahumapelo met with ANC officials on Monday where he was told to resign or risk being fired.
According to sources, ANC officials, including secretarygeneral Ace Magashule and his deputy Jessie Duarte, were united in calling for his resignation.
“Ace and Jessie were among the strongest voices for him to go at the high-level meeting,” a provincial source close to Mahumapelo said.
He said the premier’s supporters were disappointed that no one came to his defence.
But Mahumapelo’s resignation will not be the end of the story as the national government is expected to wrestle control of North West from the provincial government.
Sources also told Sowetan yesterday that Ramaphosa’s cabinet is set to receive a recommendation from Minister in the Presidency Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma that the province be put under administration in terms of section 100 of the constitution which empowers national government to intervene where a provincial government fails to discharge its obligation.
Ramaphosa appointed Dlamini-Zuma last month to lead an inter-ministerial task team to look at complaints by residents who had taken to the streets demanding Mahumapelo be fired for corruption and lack of service delivery.
Dlamini-Zuma’s team is expected to present a report to cabinet that paints a picture of a collapsed government under Mahumapelo with no accountability on taxpayers’ money.
Yesterday, cabinet spokeswoman Phumla Williams confirmed cabinet was meeting today but said its agenda cannot be discussed in the media.