Ex-premier defends Zuma amid condemnation

Former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo has reacted strongly to what he said was a narrative that the nine-year long presidential term of Jacob Zuma was wasted time.

Mahumapelo was among a few prominent ANC members supporting Zuma at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture yesterday.

He said three critical things happened during Zuma’s tenure: the alliance partners functioned much better and a massive outreach programme and consultation programme were undertaken.

During the world economic recession that hit the South African economy hard, Mahumapelo said Zuma rolled out a massive infrastructure programme worth a trillion rand.

Recently, the premier’s office when Mahumapelo was the incumbent, was implicated in the state capture saga. The inquiry heard testimony that it allegedly approved payment of R50 million to include SA Express use of the province’s two airports, without following proper procurement procedures in a deal described as “strange”.

North West community safety and transport department chief financial officer Kutlwano Phatudi told the commission that on March 16, 2015, the department received an invoice to make a R50 million prepayment to the airline, but the amount had not been budgeted for.

Earlier, opposition parties in parliament criticised the ANC for electing, among others, Mahumapelo as the chairperson of the portfolio committee on tourism.

Mahumapelo, once a member of the so-called Premier League, was stripped of the premiership and the province was placed under administration by national government last year.

This followed widespread protests against his provincial government. – OFM News