This is according to the Free State political analyst, Sethulego Matebesi. This is after the ANC’s Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) announced on Monday that struggle stalwart and former Robben Island prisoner, premier-elect Bushy Maape, will now replace Mokgoro. Matebesi says some ANC members aligned to both president Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR17 camp and suspended Secretary-General (SG) Ace Magashule’s Radical Economic Transformation (RET) group are not in favour of Mokgoro’s radical onslaught on corruption because of their personal interest.

“Their personal interest has been so entrenched within the party, within municipalities and provincial government that they will fight for it [with] their lives to try and keep the status-quo. That’s why we will always find a situation where irrespective of how well people are performing and how well they deal with service delivery issues, if they are a stumbling block for a certain individual to advance their interest they will be side-lined,” he adds.

On Tuesday, during the media briefing held in Mahikeng, IPC Coordinator, Hlomani Chauke, said Mokgoro is yet to tender his resignation letter as a member of the Provincial Legislature after his term in office as premier expired on Sunday. Chauke said Mokgoro's resignation letter will be received via the office of the Provincial Legislature speaker, Susana Dantjie, given that Mokgoro is a member of the legislature.

Mokgoro replaced former premier and ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) Chairperson, Supra Mahumapelo, after Mahumapelo had resigned in 2018 following sporadic violent protests in the capital city over the alleged lack of service delivery.

On Tuesday, the removal of Mokgoro was met by a mini protest by members of the community, believed to be ANC members, outside the ANC's offices in Mahikeng.

However, Chauke said Mokgoro has done his part and managed to stabilise the province but adds that the new premier-elect will carry on and address issues in the province. North West is still under administration and most of its municipalities are in dire financial distress with most of them failing to deliver basic services to the people.

OFM News