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Public servants from the North West health department have given Premier Supra Mahumapelo 14 days to resign from his position.
They said in their memorandum that Mahumapelo has demonstrated that he was unable to lead a clean government and ran an administration “characterised by corruption”.
In a memorandum by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) and the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa), the unions stated recent scandals that have rocked the province.
These affected their department in particular and include the Gupta-linked Mediosa contract as well as the removal of head of department Thabo Lekalakala because the contract was dubiously awarded under his watch.
They also mentioned Nepo Data Dynamics, Marang, Ayamah Consulting and Moepathutshe – all these are companies that were dubiously awarded multi-million rand contracts by the province, including Mahumapelo’s own office.
The march – which had the backing of Cosatu, the provincial SACP, the ANC Youth League and the Young Communist League – nearly ran into trouble earlier on Tuesday.
While the marchers were approaching the North West provincial legislature precinct, a group of people who were mostly clad in ANC t-shirts were already there singing pro-Mahumapelo songs and holding similar placards.
It was not clear if their intention was to disrupt the public servants’ protest, but a throng of those partaking in the march seemed unfazed as they approached the legislature.
But all hell broke loose when the oppsoing groups started getting closer to each other and clashes started.
Police did not waste any time or allow the situation to turn any uglier and started firing rubber bullets at the Mahumapelo group who fled the precinct.
One police officer was heard saying to a leader of the premier’s supporters that they did not have permission to march or be there.
The march continued afterwards with all speakers agreeing that Mahumapelo must be removed.
Cosatu’s deputy general secretary, Solly Phetoe, said things have changed at the national government and it was time for the same in the province.
He said they were there to deliver a clear message to Mahumapelo and say to him “your days are numbered ... you must stop mobilising hooligans to attack people”.
“Workers have taken a resolution that Mahumapelo must go and as Cosatu we support them. We did not vote the ANC to be oppressed by Supra,” Phetoe said.
“If he refuses to resign then President Cyril Ramaphosa must remove Supra ... we’ve had enough of him.”
Tshepiso Tsotetsi, an ANC Youth League (ANCYL) provincial leadership member, said their members were not among the group that came to express their support for Mahumapelo.
He said they were fully behind the call for his removal.
This was a new tone by the ANCYL after they previously stood in fierce defence of Mahumapelo.
Tuesday was the first time police were seen to act swiftly to avoid a serious clash between anti and pro-Mahumapelo groups. At least one person was left with a bullet wound in the leg during a clash in January between Mahumapelo supporters and Save North West – a group campaigning for Mahumapelo’s removal
This was after the Save North West meeting was disrupted by the group which arrived in taxis and started attacking the other side and damaging chairs and furniture inside the venue hall in Mahikeng.
Just over year ago, a counter march was organised by the ANCYL in the province. They marched to the legislature which was the destination for a march by the North West Business Forum in a call for Mahumapelo’s removal.
The latter group decided to cancel their march to avoid any clashes.
Meanwhile, Nehawu and other unions have promised to escalate their efforts to have Mahumapelo removed if he is still premier in the next two weeks.
The ANC in the province released a statement following a special working committee meeting with the party’s caucus in the legislature.
Among issues discussed was the proposed motion of no confidence in Mahumapelo by the Economic Freedom Fighters to be debated next month.
“An agreement was reached that all our deployees must oppose and defeat the motion like we normally do as the ANC throughout the country. The meeting held that the ANC cannot allow opposition parties to set the agenda for us,” the statement read.
“It was further agreed that all deployees must desist from damaging the image of the movement through the bad media and social media publicity that has been happening against our own provincial government, with the wrong narrative that some comrades are corrupt.”
This comes after ANC members of the provincial legislature started tearing into officials, including MECs and the premier’s office, on corruption allegations in recent portfolio committee meetings.
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