The communication manager at the North West Provincial Legislature, Sethunya Kgafela, tells OFM News that the speaker of the House, Susana Dantjie, will on Wednesday swear in premier-elect Maape as an MPL. He says on 7 September 2021, a full sitting will debate the premier-elect matter since his name has been gazetted on Tuesday. 

Kgafela says on Tuesday next week, after the debate, the North West Judge President will officiate Maape, or whoever is elected as premier, in the House.

Currently, the MEC for Finance, Motlalepula Rosho, is acting as premier following Mokgoro's controversial resignation.

In August, the ANC's Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) announced Maape as premier-elect after Mokgoro's term in office had expired.

Maape is a former struggle stalwart, Robben Island prisoner, and also an IPC member. He replaces Mokgoro at a time when most municipalities in the province are in financial distress and most of them are dysfunctional. At least ten municipalities have been placed under administration for failure to deliver basic and quality service to residents. 

The Auditor-General (AG) recently made adverse findings against many of these municipalities, as some of them have splashed millions of rands on consulting agencies.

Mokgoro also resigned at a time when his ANC membership was suspended by the ANC's IPC for allegedly voting with opposition parties in the Legislature.

He replaced the former premier, Supra Mahumapelo, who resigned in 2018, following sporadic violent protests in Mahikeng over a lack of service delivery. Mokgoro has previously refused to resign both as premier and MPL, whilst demanding that the ANC IPC apologise to him for how it handled this issue.

During his resignation, in a virtual interview with NewzRoom Afrika and other media houses, Mokgoro said he was forced out of office in haste for no reason.

OFM News