Ramaphosa places North West under administration

The province has been plunged into chaos due to a prolonged strike by health workers and violent protests calling for the head of Premier Supra Mahumapelo.

Mahumapelo has so far refused to heed a call by the African National Congress' (ANC) national working committee to resign and has instead taken a leave of absence.  

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Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says Ramaphosa has written a letter to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

"The president has written to the chairperson of the NCOP notifying the house of the decision to place the North West under administration in terms of section 100 of the constitution.

"A process will ensue, through a committee or committees of parliament who will have to make an assessment of the circumstances that brought about this decision by cabinet. And also, we need to make an assessment of the situation on the ground in North West to see if it warrants such an intervention," Mothapo says 

North West will be put under national control for the next 180 days.