‘Firing Mahumapelo would have caused mayhem in Mahikeng’

President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC leadership reportedly feared a blood bath in North West if they had removed premier Supra Mahumapelo this week, City Press reports.

This after residents in Mahikeng and surrounding villages protested for three days, demanding that the premier step down over corruption allegations and poor service delivery. Shops were looted and streets barricaded with rocks and burning objects.

“There would have been mayhem here in Mahikeng had he [Mahumapelo] been fired. Innocent people were going to die so Cyril did well,” an official working in the North West ANC office was quoted as saying.

According to the report, the decision by ANC heavyweight to do more consultation before taking any action disappointed anti-Mahumapelo campaigners, with claims that security personnel working at the local municipality in Mahikeng were among those who had been recruited to defend the premier.

Sources told City Press they had evidence in pictures and heard of complaints where the security guards shot at protestors with live ammunition.

Outside heritage house in Mahikeng where Ramaphosa was meeting the ANC and its alliance partners, a group reportedly arrived in a bakkie and assaulted anti-Mahumapelo protesters in full view of the police.

A convoy of about four cars which included a BMW X5 was also spotted driving around the area removing barricades.

Despite all this, Mahumapelo is said to believe that the protests against him are driven by his political opponents rather than disgruntled communities.

He was apparently warned by the intelligence services since 2015 that sidelining his former political allies would backfire.

North West ‘relatively calm’ after days of violence

The situation was relatively calm in Mahikeng on Saturday despite two attempts to burn buildings overnight, North West police said yesterday.

A petrol bomb caused minor damages at the house of a traffic officer in Magogwe Tar village on Friday night.

“No one was injured during the incident. In the second, separate incident, a petrol bomb that was apparently meant to cause fire and damage to [the] Mmabana Arts Foundation building failed. This is the same building that was burnt on Thursday.

“At this stage, despite visible objects that were used as barricades, traffic is flowing on most of the roads and allowing members of the community to travel to their destinations,” Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said.

Nine people were arrested on Friday for public violence. They are expected to appear in the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

“They will appear together with 14 other suspects that were arrested between Thursday and Friday. Police are maintaining their presence in the area to ensure that the situation is stabilised,” Mokgwabone added.

North West police commissioner Lt-Gen Baile Motswenyane urged the public to remain calm but vigilant, and to report any criminal activities committed under the pretext of community protest to police.

– Additional reporting African News Agency

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