Supra gearing up to fight ANC efforts to sack him

D-day is looming for North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo as the ANC national executive committee (NEC) prepares to gather to finally axe him on Monday.

But the party could have a tough fight on its hands as Mahumapelo’s allies in the province have expressed unwavering support for him.

The NEC is expected to action a decision taken by the party’s national working committee (NWC) on Wednesday to recall Mahumapelo as premier. A number of sources said Mahumapelo’s axing would be accompanied by the disbanding of his ANC provincial executive committee (PEC).

But political analyst Andre Duvenhage from North West University said it was unlikely to be an easy task to remove the influential leader, who commands massive respect within the provincial ANC and at grassroots level.

Duvenhage added: “You cannot exclude the possibility of violence in North West … Supra is going to fight, he knows he has strong support and is very influential.”

Already, the provincial leadership expressed its unwavering support for Mahumapelo through a statement issued yesterday.

The statement followed a verbal warning from some of the PEC members and his diehard supporters that they would turn the province into a bloodbath, should Mahumapelo be removed.

But some ANC activists opposed to him, including former ANC provincial deputy chairperson China Dodovu, had no doubt that Mahumapelo would be fired on Monday. Dodovu, who had several run-ins with Mahumapelo after he saw him as a threat to his position as chair, said the premier would “be history” by Monday.

Dodovu warned current PEC members not to resist the NEC decision to recall Mahumapelo. He was confident Mahumapelo and his PEC would not resist and that, instead, he would opt to resign.

“I disagree with the notion that without Supra, this province would not progress. Mahumapelo sidelined many notable and dependable comrades, messed up the entire state system and looted the state completely. This was a pure kleptocratic state that Supra ran in the North West,” Dodovu said.

Dodovu and former provincial secretary Kabelo Mataboge were marginalised and finally ousted from the ANC leadership by Mahumapelo. Dodovu said he and Mataboge were identified by Mahumapelo as threats.

The NEC had resolved to remove Mahumapelo to avoid further destruction of property by North West residents who protested, demanding improved services and Mahumapelo’s resignation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa last week deployed a Cabinet task team led by minister in the presidency for planning, monitoring and evaluation Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to intervene to stabilise governance in the province.

ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said the team would meet Mahumapelo to thrash out “constructive options” to resolve the ongoing impasse in the “interest of the people and the movement broadly”.

This was immediately interpreted to mean the NEC would ask Mahumapelo to resign voluntarily, instead of being pushed out.

Indications were clear that the majority in the ANC NWC favour Mahumapelo’s ouster.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

Also read:  This pic of an ‘exhausted’ Ramaphosa suggests Supra is a tough nut to crack

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