Anti-Cyril plot thickens
Maharani Hotel plans seemingly going full steam ahead as Supra joins court action to force ANC to reinstate him
Former ANC North West premier Supra Mahumapelo is taking the ANC’s national executive committee head on, with the help of advocate Dali Mpofu, demanding to be reinstated as provincial ANC chairperson.
In a sworn statement filed before the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, Mahumapelo said he supported the four ANC members who are challenging the ANC decision to disband the party’s North West leadership and has also appointed Mpofu to represent him separately. “For avoidance of doubt, Mr Mahumapelo supports the relief sought by the applicants,” Mpofu said in heads of argument filed with the court. They want the court to set aside the NEC decision to dissolve the provincial leadership and, at the same time, interdict the interim leadership from any decision-making.
The matter is expected to be heard on Friday, a day before the ANC’s NEC sits for a special meeting.
The NEC dissolved the ANC leadership in the North West in August and appointed a tentative task team led by premier Job Mokgoro. Mahumapelo was also included in the interim leadership structure but he has since turned it down. Mpofu is expected to argue on behalf of the former premier that the decision to dissolve the North West ANC leadership was not justified.
“If the branches [in the North West] have been dysfunctional since 2016, as alleged by the ANC, there could be no valid national conference because such branches should not have passed the national audit,” the heads of argument read. Mpofu told the court “the procedural improprieties were so gross that any decision arrived at thereby cannot be held to be in accordance with the ANC”. Mahumapelo and the four other applicants claim the ANC’s top leadership decided to take action against the North West provincial executive committee (PEC) after hearing complaints from nonANC members. They further claim that the term of office of the disbanded PEC was coming to an end in February next year anyway and there was no basis for them to be removed before that.
Sunday Times reported previously that the fightback against the NEC decision to disband the North West leaders was discussed at a meeting at the Maharani Hotel in Durban in October, where former president Jacob Zuma was present. Mahumapelo and ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule also participated in that meeting.
An ANC insider said the fact that Mahumapelo was openly challenging the ANC NEC decision through the court showed “the Maharani resolutions were on track”. Mahumapelo could not be reached for comment and Mpofu only confirmed that he was representing him and did not comment further.
The ANC’s Pule Mabe said its legal department was handling the matter.