NORTH WEST went up in flames last week as protesters called for Premier Supra Mahumapelo to step down.

The scenes of vandalism and looting were still on police officers’ minds when minibuses filled with ANC members parked outside Luthuli House in Joburg yesterday.

Only this time the people were marching in support of Mahumapelo.

The marchers travelled from North West to demand that Mahumapelo be left alone.

More than 1 000 Mahumapelo supporters barricaded the road leading to Luthuli House, bringing traffic to a halt.

The marchers said they represented the Bojanala, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati regions.

The group claimed a third force was behind the protests in North West.

Mlungisi Mathews, an ANC member in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda region, said many of the people who were calling for Mahumapelo to step down were not even ANC members.

“There are people who are being paid to wreak havoc in our province.

“Many of them don’t even know who Supra is. These people are not members of the ANC, yet they are leading the chaos,” said Mlungisi

According to the group’s memorandum of grievances, North West is ready to hold its regional conference. The memorandum called for members to rally behind the North West ANC’s leadership.

The marchers also demanded that a motion of no confidence suggested by the EFF be done away with.

Their memorandum was received by the ANC’s national executive committee member Febe Potgieter-Gqubule.

The group said it expects a response by Friday.