FORMER North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo, has been suspended from the ANC for five years for misconduct after he allegedly advised the JB Marks district mayor not to step aside after he was asked to do so by the party’s interim leadership.
The provincial disciplinary committee (PDC) has also ordered Mahumapelo to be removed from list of public representatives of the ANC.
The acting provincial ANC Women’s League secretary Bitsa Lekongpane, a Mahumapelo supporter, was also found guilty on misconduct charges and suspended from the party for five years.
“After considering the aggravating factors as submitted by the presenter of evidence on behalf of the ANC represented by the IPC in the North West province, the committee therefore concluded on the following: that both members are hereby suspended from the ANC for a period of five years with immediate effect. That both respondents must be removed from the lists of public representatives of the ANC,” said PDC chairperson Wendy Matsemela.
“Both respondents are advised of their right in respect of the appeal or review the verdict or sanctions accordingly with the national disciplinary committee of appeals in terms of rule 25.36 and rule 25.38 of the ANC constitution, respectively. The said application for appeal or review must be lodged with the national disciplinary committee of appeals within 21 days from the date of the receipt of the ruling.”
Mahumapelo is accused of misconduct from having addressed an ANC gathering at Ward 1 in JB Marks local municipality last month, where he informed the corruption-accused mayor of the same municipality not to step aside after he was asked to do so by the IPC as a of his court case.
Supporters of Mahumapelo say charges against him were nothing but a political strategy to prevent him from standing as chairperson at the provincial conference.
The suspension of Mahumapelo is also a blow for Magashule’s faction which was banking of key leaders like him to defend those asked to step aside by the ANC.
In an interview with Eyewitness News (EWN), ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe said he was concerned that some were deliberately confusing party members and the public about the step aside resolution.
Mantashe said that the step aside resolution was not created to deal with Magashule.
“When step aside was taken in December 2017 comrade Ace was not secretary general, he was not secretary general, he was elected in that conference – this is not a comrade Ace resolution,” said Mantashe.
Mantashe hit out at leaders like Mahumapelo and the so-called radical economic transformation (RET) members’ argument that the resolution was at odds with the constitution, saying that debate was convenient and mischievous.
“I listened to Supra Mahumapelo talking about this resolution of the ANC being in conflict with the constitution of the republic, as he was speaking it dawned on me that here is a leader of the ANC who doesn’t understand that the ANC is a voluntary organisation,” said Mantashe.
- Inside Politics
