AS FAR as can be established, the ANC National Working Committee met members of the North West ANC at Luthuli House yesterday.
Reliable sources said Supra Mahumapelo was also there.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT LATER TODAY THE PEOPLE OF NORTH WEST MAY HAVE A NEW PREMIER.
It was difficult to get ANC spokesman Pule Mabe to confirm the developments as his cellphone was off all day yesterday.
The provincial and regional leadership held a joint media conference in Mahikeng yesterday. Daily Sun was informed that a final decision is expected to be taken today, with the entire province being placed under administration and an interim premier, who is known to Daily Sun, appointed.
A provincial task team is expected to be appointed after the meeting with the provincial structures.
Lopang Rothman, ANC regional secretary in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, said they will support Mahumapelo until he is found guilty in court. But he added that if corruption, maladministration and fraud allegations against Mahumapelo were true, they would prepare a motion of no confidence against him.
“We reaffirm and recommit ourselves as regions to fight all manifestations of corruption, greed and state capture,” Rothman said.
However, provincial executive committee leaders accused some of its members of being behind the protests to get rid of Mahumapelo. Lerato Teme, ANC PEC convener in Dr Ruth Mompati district, said: “Those who are behind the protests call themselves the Revolutionary Council. An amount of R2 million has been set aside to sponsor the protests. Those who are behind the protests are disgruntled members of the party and have operational centres in Mahikeng and Klerksdorp.”
PEC member Mmoloki Cwaile, who was named as one of the people behind the protests, has rejected the allegations. Cwaile said no one from his team had the capacity to sponsor the protests because Mahumapelo took everything for himself. He said the allegations are untrue.
“We will have our own press conference next week. I will give tangible evidence and documents to show how Mahumapelo stole billions from the province. These are legitimate protests. People want service delivery.”
The PEC and regional leadership condemned the protests which have spread from Mahikeng to Taung, Vryburg and Delareyville.
Rothman said: “We will always respect and uphold the hard- earned constitutional right of all citizens to protest in a disciplined and peaceful manner.
“However, we wish to condemn in the harshest possible terms the current protests that are characterised by violence, intimidation, looting of shops and destruction of both private and state property. No amount of reasoning will justify acts of anarchy, lawlessness and criminality.”