Supra’s exit is a starting point, more needs to be done

23 May 2018

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West notes the much anticipated and delayed exit of disgraced North West Premier, Supra Mahumaphelo.

This is a step in the right direction towards bringing order and stability to the North West, which has being besieged by violent protest action after years of ANC mismanagement and callous leadership.

Mahumaphelo’s “early retirement” does not shield him from accounting for the long list corruption allegations, which have been closely associated with him.

Mahumapelo represents only the tip of the iceberg, therefore his exit will not miraculously fix the province’s deep problems of corruption, service delivery collapse and joblessness. The ANC is rotten to its core and over the past years, the ANC has put the interests of the party before that of the people of North West.

The reality is that  President Cyril Ramaphosa has accommodated Mahumaphelo’s lies and arrogance for too long. If he had acted swiftly, the province could have been spared the protests and upheaval of the past months.

While Ramaphosa played political games, healthcare in the Province’s major centres has come to a complete standstill, despite the supposed interventions made by National Government and the South African National Defence Force. Ramaphosa’s dithering has led to avoidable deaths, where patients in critical conditions were turned away due to the incapacity of healthcare facilities to carry out their functions.

Furthermore, Ramaphosa’s Section 100 intervention and task team have amounted to nothing more than political gimmicks and PR stunts used a  smokescreen to cover his inability to deal with one of his political rivals. It has been marred by legal questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) clearly showing that he is using state machinery and acting outside of due process to fight his political battles.

Again, Mahumaphelo’s removal is only the start of getting the North West working; an ANC government is incapable of putting the people first, delivering services, stopping corruption and delivering jobs.

Only a DA-led government can bring the Change the North West needs. Only the DA can build one South Africa for all.

Issued by Joe McGluwa, DA North West Provincial Leader, 23 May 2018