THICK END OF THE WEDGE
PETER BRUCE: North West spooked Ramaphosa, but why?
Our politics are so complicated and dark it is simply impossible to know what is going on
I defy anyone to accurately explain to me what is going on in the North West. Its "premier", Supra Mahumapelo, is allegedly crooked and little in his province works. His agriculture department once donated R1.5m worth of cows to former president Jacob Zuma. He backed Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in the race for the ANC leadership last year, and just weeks before the vote in December was confidently predicting her victory was all but done. He built a garish statue of Zuma. Last weekend, his province and capital, Mahikeng (for Mafikeng), exploded in violent protest against his alleged corruption. Citizens calling for his head took to the streets. Others, presumably the remains in the North West of the Zuma tendency, were seen armed and waiting for anyone to actually threaten the premier. President Cyril Ramaphosa had to cut short his visit to the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in London to come home and deal with the issue. My wife was on the same South African Airways flight as t...
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