Allies: Former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo (L) is seen with Ace Magashule during a media briefing to announce his resignation at Luthuli House on 23 May 2018 in Johannesburg. (Photo by Gallo Images / Daily Sun / Jabu Kumalo)
Former ANC North West chairperson and premier Supra Mahumapelo has been suspended from the party for five years for sowing division. Mahumapelo, a key ally of former president Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary general Ace Magashule, was suspended on Wednesday by the provincial disciplinary committee (PDC).
Mahumapelo was last week temporarily suspended by the interim provincial committee (IPC) running the ANC in the province, pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
IPC spokesperson Kenny Morolong said on Wednesday: “We can confirm that the provincial disciplinary committee has reached a verdict on the matter and that the PDC has made the requisite pronouncement in this regard.”
In an audio recording, disciplinary committee chairperson Wendy Matsemela said that Mahumapelo and acting ANC Women’s League North West chairperson Bitsa Lenkopane had been found guilty and suspended for five years with immediate effect.
The two were charged with sowing division and holding a parallel rally to an official IPC event during a by-election last year.
Matsamela said both would be removed from the ANC list of public representatives.
Mahumapelo has been instructed to undergo a three-year political mentorship programme under former ANC president Thabo Mbeki.
Lenkopane would undergo a similar programme under the mentorship of ANC veteran Barbara Masakela for five years.
Matsamela said the two had been advised of the outcome and their right to appeal the ruling, or ask for it to be reviewed, within 21 days.
In 2018, Mahumapelo was recalled as premier and the ANC provincial executive in North West was collapsed by the ANC national executive committee and replaced with a provincial task team.
Mahumapelo went to court and won, but a political agreement was reached where the interim provincial committee, consisting of his provincial executive committee and the IPC, was set up.
Since then, Mahuampelo has led a fightback, addressing meetings challenging the dissolution of the province’s ANC regions by the IPC.
Earlier this year he and Lenkopane were charged for several comments he made challenging the IPC and its mandate.
Despite the charges, Mahumapelo allegedly continued to undermine the IPC, which he was subsequently summoned to address. He failed to do so, and was then placed on temporary suspension pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
Attempts to secure comment from Mahumapelo had been unsuccessful at the time of publication.