ANC North West must address votes drop – Mahumapelo
However, he distanced himself from service delivery concerns and incomplete projects which sparked outrage in parts of the province last year.
From left, former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, former Rustenburg mayor Matthew Wolmarans and the IEC head in North West, Dr. Tumelontle Thiba, at the IEC provincial results operation centre in Mahikeng, 10 May 2019. Picture: African News Agency (ANA)
Former North West premier and ANC provincial chair, Supra Mahumapelo, has called on the party in the province to address its almost 6% drop in votes following their election triumph.
Mahumapelo described the ANC as a “self-critical” organisation which would assess where they didn’t do well and move forward as a result.
The controversial figure, however, distanced himself from service delivery concerns and incomplete projects which sparked outrage in parts of the province last year, and during the special voting period early last week.
“How do you finish projects when you are not there?” he asked. “I was in government for three-and-a-half years and in government for a project to be completed it doesn’t have to be me, just because it was started during Mahumapelo’s administration.”
He said that the next premier must ensure the delayed projects are completed because they were not done in his personal capacity but under government.
The former chairperson of the disbanded ANC provincial executive committee denied rumours that the unrest that occurred last week was carried out by some of his ardent supporters.
Mahumapelo told OFM News he does not have supporters, but the ANC does.
On Monday last week, protests flared up in areas where he allegedly has a stronghold.
The first was in Ganyesa, which falls under the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, where angry residents torched a vehicle belonging to an electoral commission presiding officer, damaged another vehicle and disrupted the special voting.
There were also protests in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district – specifically in Jouberton in Klerksdorp – and in the Ngaka Modiri Molema district, specifically Dithakong outside Mahikeng.
Altogether 21 people were arrested and face charges related to contravention of the Electoral Act, malicious damage to property, and robbery.
SA National Defence Force members were deployed to the area to ensure that the general elections took place without disruption.
– OFM News
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