Supra sharpens teeth as Cyril makes plans for NW – report

Beleaguered North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo is believed to be getting ready to bite back when the ruling party ANC’s national executive meets in two weeks’ time.

This is according to the Sunday Times, which reports that the unrest in the province has driven President Cyril Ramaphosa to take over the province.

The Times reports that Ramaphosa has written a letter to inform the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) that the provincial government will fall under the control of the national executive.

This move would work in terms of section 100 (1) of the constitution.

The takeover of the province is expected go on for 180 days, effectively leaving North West MECs with much less autonomy over the governance of the province.

But Mahumapelo might not be taking this lying down. He reportedly wants to fight back at the NEC meeting, and will apparently be questioning the role of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the alleged plot to remove him.

Sources told the Sunday paper that on Monday, Mahumapelo would be meeting the ANC top six, where the section 100 intervention would be communicated to him.

These are the steps the president will take after the embattled premier reneged on an agreement to step down this past week.