The African National Congress's (ANC's) North West provincial executive committee (PEC) says it instructed its chairperson Supra Mahumapelo to not resign as premier of the province.

This was confirmed by the province's acting secretary Susan Dantjie at a media briefing, following an emergency PEC meeting in Mahikeng, North West.

Pressure had been mounting on Mahumapelo to step down as premier and for his PEC to be disbanded.

He told SABC and News24 on Tuesday evening that he would be stepping down and the ANC in the province released a statement, saying it accepting his resignation with "apprehension".

"The PEC has instructed the premier to withdraw his resignation because he did so without informing the party. Only the ANC can recall its deployee," Dantjie said to the media.

Pressure had been mounting over the past few weeks for the premier to step down and it has also led to violent protests throughout parts of the platinum-rich province.

Mahumapelo has been criticised for running the province with an iron fist and for dealing ruthlessly with his detractors.

The campaign to remove Mahumapelo has given rise to the birth of the Revolutionary Council, which rallied people behind calls for the premier to fall. Some of his former allies also bandied together in a pursuit to rid the province of his reign.

The province has also been marred by allegations of corruption and maladministration. This year, the Hawks raided his office and the provincial health department collapsed, following a protracted strike by workers at public clinics.

Dantjie also announced that Mahumapelo would be put on leave but could not say when, for how long or who would play the role of acting premier in his absence.

"The premier will be on leave until consultations are done and to allow the inter-ministerial committee to conclude its work and then a decision would be made," said Dantjie.

The acting secretary also insisted that President Cyril Ramaphosa had not instructed Mahumapelo to step down.