Supra accused of fuelling regional conference chaos

North West ANC chairman Supra Mahumapelo is accused by fellow provincial executive committee (PEC) member Mmoloki Cwaile of pushing ahead with a "bogus and two-hour sermon" regional conference.

Cwaile on Saturday night charged that Mahumapelo organised a regional conference of the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati (RSM) region in the province with "fake delegates" and blocked legitimate delegates from accessing the venue at All Seasons Resort in Christiana.

According to Cwaile‚ the conference "did not even last two hours" as delegates were beaten up‚ shot at with rubber bullets and tear gas and chased out of the venue.

To this end the excluded group proceeded to convene a parallel conference of the "real delegates" at the PH Moeketsi High School in Taung on Saturday night‚ said Cwaile.

"The legitimacy of the conference is not dependent on the presence of the NEC but its correctness in the context of principles of the ANC‚ not the two-hour sermon Supra facilitated today at All Seasons in Christiana‚" said Cwaile who added that he and other "progressive" PEC members would preside over the Taung conference to legitimise it.

Thapelo Galeboe‚ representing the group of ANC members who allege they were chased out from Christiana‚ said they were going ahead with the parallel conference and that Luthuli House would have to rule on which one was legitimate.

"Our sin is that we did not agree with Supra to Nasrec and we called for the PEC he leads to be disbanded and we removed him as premier. He has been on a revenge mission by removing 70% of our comrades from delegates of the regional conference and disbanded our branch executive committees but we are going ahead with conference‚ not that bogus one held earlier by Supra's people‚" said Galeboe.

Mahumapelo was not immediately available for comment‚ with phone calls to him not being answered.