Johannesburg - North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo has threatened to sue his detractors who are accusing him of corruption.
Mahumapelo’s letters of demand were served on North West Business Forum (NWBF) chairperson Fana Moraka, secretary Sello Mogodiri, treasurer Oupa Mphomane and former Ngaka Modiri District Municipality mayor Themba Gwabeni on Tuesday.
The premier instructed his attorneys to serve the papers on the four asking them to stop the production of a musical CD in which Mahumapelo was accused of corruption and political patronage, especially in relation to his close friends and relatives.
The lawyers, on the premier's instructions, accused the Business Forum leadership of spearheading “a smear campaign against him”.
“The latest attacks have taken various forms as a slanderous song distributed on radio and through WhatsApp and social media.
"These attacks seem to rely on the same allegations that the NWBF previously and on July 16, 2015 recanted when they proclaimed: “In simple terms Premier Supra Mahumapelo is cleared from the allegations of any wrongdoing as head of NWPG and as a private citizen and we hope that apologies in this regard are in order.
"We regret that Wild Dogs has blown all these out of proportion,” the letter reads.
But the lawyers now are saying the song was commissioned directly by the Business Forum.
“We record that it contains highly inflammatory defamatory matter, and baseless statements conveying the following messages: the premier is corrupt; he must resign because of the corruption; he and his government is incompetent and greedy; and if the premier does not resign prior to February 14, 2017, the people will eject him.”
The lawyers further said that Mahumapelo’s accusers referred to him as “Satanic careless dictator and a wolf in sheep’s clothing”.
They allegedly also referred to the provincial government as a “den of thieves”.
Mahumapelo also challenged the innuendo made by the Business Forum that he might be implicated in the murder of former Business Forum deputy chairperson, Wandile Bozwana, in October 2015.
Mahumapelo asked his accusers to make a public apology and to retract their statements.
The North West Business Forum was given until the end of business today to write the unconditional letters of apology or face the consequences.
If not, the lawyers said Mahumapelo would have no alternative but to approach a competent court for an urgent interdict.
However, Mahumapelo’s accusers were unrepentant and dared him to go ahead with his court action.
Mogodiri said Mahumapelo must subject himself to a lifestyle audit.
He alleged such an audit would prove the premier had been involved in activities using public funds.