Supra Mahumapelo accused of ordering hits on three people – report
This includes the murder of businessman Wandile Bozwana, as well as two unsuccessful attempts on the lives of politicians.
Supra Mahumapelo at a press conference at Luthuli House, 23 May 2018, where he announced that he would be going on early retirement, thus leaving his post as premier of the North West Province. Picture: Michel Bega
An affidavit filed with Gauteng’s Provincial Investigations Unit, which investigated the death of businessman Wandile Bozwana, accused former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo as well as former Rustenberg mayor and ANC MP Matthews Wolmarans of involvement in the murder of Bozwana, as well as unsuccessful assassination attempts on former Rustenberg chief whip Happy Serongwane and former Department of Tourism chief of Staff Kabelo Nonyana, Sunday World reports.
The affidavit was filed in May, 2016, by a gang member who turned state witness due to his involvement in the alleged hits. Bozwana was killed in 2015.
He is reportedly the same witness who has led to the arrest of others in connection to the Bozwana hit. He claims a gang leader told him Mahumapelo and Wolmarans offered R10 million for the hits.
Both Mahumapelo and Wolmarans have vehemently denied any involvement.
Mahumapelo told the publication that the affidavit is part of attempts to tarnish his name, adding that certain statements implicating him were made by people who were “forced by politicians” to write what they did.
Wolmarans, meanwhile, believes he is being “targeted” due to being close to Mahumapelo.
The full story is available in today’s edition of Sunday World.
READ MORE: Court rules Supra Mahumapelo to be reinstated within two days of ruling
Mahumapelo stepped down as premier of the North West in May last year, citing a decision to take an “early retirement.”
He was under pressure to resign after residents in Mahikeng went on the rampage in April calling for his resignation over allegations of corruption. The widespread protests shut down the province’s capital Mahikeng, looting shops and damaging property.
A ministerial task team led by Minister in the Presidency Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma investigated governance issues in the North West, resulting in President Cyril Ramaphosa placing the province under the control of the national government in terms of section 100 of the Constitution.
Before he threw in the towel, Mahumapelo rescinded his resignation and then chaired a provincial executive meeting to decide his fate. He then put himself on special leave and appointed corruption-accused finance MEC Wendy Nelson as acting premier.
Mahumapelo, the man also known as ”Black Jesus” among his supporters remains ANC provincial chairman. He was appointed premier in 2014 by the former president, Jacob Zuma.
The Johannesburg High Court found in February that the decision by the governing ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) to disband the party’s North West provincial executive committee (PEC), which was chaired by Mahumapelo, was procedurally unfair and a breach of the party’s constitution and in violation of the “applicants section 19 constitutional rights”, a decision which led to his reinstatement.
(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Additional reporting, Makhosandile Zulu and ANA)
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