Rustenburg - The African National Congress (ANC) was not in a position to remove its North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) claimed on Tuesday.
"Some leaders in the ANC are beneficiaries of the Gupta-Supra corruption, people of North West are taken for a ride by the ANC.
"If they do not remove him, we are going to help them to remove Supra," Saftu North West convener Puseletso Molise told reporters in Rustenburg.
He said President Cyril Ramaphosa had cut short his visit to the UK last week to return home, not to remove Mahumapelo, but to stabilise the situation after residents in Mahikeng shut down the provincial capital, demanding that Mahumapelo resign.
Residents closed roads with burning objects and went on a looting spree and damaged buildings, while vehicles were also torched during the protest that started on April 18 in Montshioa.
Molise said a meeting has been scheduled where all those against corruption would discuss what steps to follow to remove Mahumapelo from office.
Meanwhile ANC leaders in the four districts of North West pledged support for the embattled Mahumapelo.
In a joint statement, they said they believed Mahumapelo has performed exceptionally well. "It is our view that the call by the Revolutionary Council, Congress of SA Trade Unions, SA Communist Party and opposition parties is malicious and misinformed. We are arguing therefore that the narrative for recalling the premier must be performance-based and supported by factual evidence that indeed he is corrupt.
"As things stand, no one has backed their allegations with concrete evidence. It is our considered view that this call - amongst other things - is triggered by the posture taken by the premier on corruption and his pronouncements made during his State of the province address when he requested that all previous and current premiers, MECs, HODs and municipal managers must avail themselves when so requested by law enforcement agencies and forensic investigators on all corruption cases dating from 1994 as a commitment and support for the fifth administration's endeavors to fight greed, crime and corruption," the regions said in their joint statement.
The regions further said they were against the party's provincial executive committee (PEC) being disbanded.
"As regions, we don't agree with this submission. Our determination is informed by the PEC’s performance report and mainly by the key performance indicators used in the organisation when evaluating performance of ANC constitutional structures. All submissions made in support of the disbandment of the PEC are mischievous, irrational and based on feelings and emotions. Therefore, the request must fail and be dismissed."
There has been a call that the PEC should disband should Mahumapelo vacate public office.