Mokgoro gets North West

Despite the announcement of academic and veteran administrator Job Mokgoro as premier-elect to succeed the controversial Supra Mahumapelo, a senior political analyst says the power struggle in North West is far from over.

Susan Booysen says the province could still experience power struggles caused by the new multiple centres of power.

She cited the three power centres – one under Mokgoro, another under ANC North West chair Mahumapelo and another with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government in the form of the interministerial task team led by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

The national administration imposed section 100 of the constitution that allows it to run the provincial administration.

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said, however, that there was only one centre of power – the ANC.

Magashule hinted that Mahumapelo could also resign as member of the North West legislature in order to run ANC affairs in the province on a full-time basis.

But this would give Mahumapelo more powers to be able to manipulate party programmes.

Mokgoro, 70, succeeds Mahumapelo, 50, who resigned recently amid intense pressure within the governing party and its alliances and protests by residents.

Magashule described Mokgoro as a “tried and tested” administrator who would be able to effect the needed service delivery. “It will be good for the ANC and society to support him,” he said.

Mokgoro, North West province’s first director-general after 1994, holds a number of qualifications – a masters degree and an honorary doctorate of public administration from the University of Toledo in the US. Mokgoro served as director-general of SA Management Development Institute from 1999 to January 2003.

He is credited with having successfully rationalised and integrated the former apartheid administrations of Bophuthatswana and sections of the former Transvaal Provincial Administration. Before his redeployment to the new position of premier, he was heading the province’s School of Governance.

Magashule said the national working committee was unanimous in selecting Mokgoro because it believed he had the ability to unite people of North West. He said the committee considered all other names, but Mokgoro was the best choice.

A tried and tested administrator who would be able to effect the needed service delivery.