Supra joins in North West challenge

Nthusang Lefafa

Former North West ANC chairperson Supra Mahumapelo has joined the disgruntled group that has launched a court application to challenge a decision by the ANC national executive committee (NEC) to disband the provincial executive committee (PEC).

The matter will be heard by the High Court in Pretoria on Friday.

Earlier this year, Mahumapelo was removed as North West premier after violent service delivery protests rocked the province. Afterwards the NEC resolved that the North West ANC PEC should be disbanded.

This resulted in Mahumapelo being removed as ANC chairperson and the current premier, Professor Job Mokgoro, being elected as convenor of a provincial task team (PTT).

Advocate Dali Mpofu will be leading the legal team which represents the former PEC members in the North West.

An insider within the North West ANC explained that those who wanted Mahumapelo out have always “had a bone to chew” with the former leader.

“People that have been bestowed in the ANC PTT have been fighting the former chairperson for over a decade.

“This issue [disbanding the PEC] was based on narrow factional tendencies within the party.”

The former PEC member also accused the NEC of failing to engage the branches when they were in the process of making a decision to disband the PEC.

North West ANC spokesperson Kabelo Mataboge refused to comment on the issue as he said it was still sub judice.

“Every citizen in the country has a right to approach the courts as it is within their constitutional rights. We all know that the courts are the final arbiter of justice.

“As a political organisation, we would like to urge all ANC members to exhaust all internal measures before approaching the courts,” said Mataboge.