RUSTENBURG - The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in the North West was on Thursday divided over whether Premier Supra Mahumapelo must resign.
The ANCYL in the province said Mahumapelo must resign, while the regional structure in Ngaka Modiri said Mahumapelo must stay.
Provincial spokesperson Tshiamo Tsotetsi said violent protests in Mahikeng were an indication that people had had enough.
"The ANCYL without a doubt is sympathetic and fully stands on the side of the masses of our people. However it's against violence and the burning of properties," he told reporters in Rustenburg on Thursday.
"We want the person who is going to take over from Mahumapleo to be selfless and fear corruption. A person who will be able to step in, bring change and take the province forward."
Mahikeng was locked down on Thursday, as protesters called for the premier to resign.
Tsotetsi said the ANCYL made it public that they fully support the call made by the people in the province for Mahumapelo to resign.
However, in contrast to the stance of the ANCYL provincial structure, the ANCYL in Ngaka Modiri Molema had came out in support of the premier.
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"The ANCYL in Ngaka Modiri Molema views these actions as nothing but desperation by those who harbour serious hatred towards ANC provincial chairperson, Cde Supra Mahumapelo, who is also premier of out province," said regional secretary Wessels Morweng.
"It’s a terrain too plain to be contested that there has been a series of underground meetings to plan for these acts in order to cause instability in an attempt to push Cde Supra into a corner. This barbaric campaign by some power-anxious ANC members continues to undermine our country’s hard earned democracy and the rights that came with it."