Former North West ANC deputy chairman China Dodovu has called on the party's top six officials to reprimand embattled North West premier Supra Mahumapelo for defying the national leadership.

"Supra was instructed by the officials to resign. He went to the PEC [provincial executive committee] meeting and reneged. What has compounded the problem is that the PEC defies the national leadership," Dodovu said.

"The majority of the ANC branches want a PTT [provincial task team] to be established in the province. For this province to be in a mess is because the PEC has failed to hold Supra accountable."

Today, the national executive committee heads to the province to engage with ANC branches amid continuing calls for Mahumapelo to step down.

Last week, the PEC met in Mahikeng and took a decision to place Mahumapelo on leave and instructed him to appoint an acting premier after Mahumapelo withdrew his resignation which he had initially agreed to tender at a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Sources in the ANC said the party's top six officials want to have another meeting with Mahumapelo in what appears to be the latest bid to remove him and his PEC.

ANC national spokesman Pule Mabe was not immediately available for comment yesterday, but Gerald Modise, spokesman for the North West PEC, said the special PEC meeting had mandated the provincial working committee to meet the ANC's top six officials for further consultations.

The divided ANC Youth League in the province described the PEC as a shield for Mahumapelo.

"There is no organisation in the province," said ANCYL provincial spokesman Tshiamo Tsotetsi. "That is why we are calling for the disbandment of the PEC."

The entire North West government is set to be placed under national administration, as Sowetan reported last week.