JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa's government has taken control of the North West, the first time the national government has taken over an entire provincial administration, the Sunday Times reported.
At the same time, two-thirds of the province’s municipalities were being taken over by the co-operative governance and traditional affairs department, the newspaper reported.
"The moves are a dramatic intervention by Ramaphosa against North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, who reneged on a public undertaking to step down this week and instead took a leave of absence without presidential approval," it said.
ALSO READ: ANC top brass in troubled North West
"Ramaphosa has written to the National Council of Provinces informing it that he is placing the entire North West government under the control of the national executive in terms of section 100 (1) of the Constitution. Senior ANC and government sources said Ramaphosa took the decision on Wednesday after the cabinet was briefed by an interministerial committee on the troubled province," the Sunday Times reported.
"Parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mothapo on Friday confirmed to the Sunday Times that NCOP chairwoman Thandi Modise had received Ramaphosa’s letter saying North West would be put under national control for 180 days in terms of the section 100 (1) of the Constitution," the newspaper reported.