“No rehabilitation order has ever been issued regarding the parties named in the said document,” says Tumelo Refilwe Ledwaba, the chief registrar of the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division: Pretoria.

“The document purporting to be an order issued by this court was never issued in our court.”

Ledwaba adds that he was ‘referring this matter to the office of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations for the institution of criminal proceedings’.

This came after Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler requested legal services to investigate certain aspects of the rehabilitation notice presented to him by mayoral candidate Murunwa Makwarela.

Makwarela’s notice was served yesterday, while an investigation was launched today.

“This was done as a result of various issues that were brought to Mettler’s attention yesterday,” says Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba.

This follows a week of confusion in the Tshwane metro as Makwarela was kicked out as mayor on Tuesday, only to be reinstated again yesterday.

Makwarela was disqualified from being mayor when it was revealed that he declared insolvency back in 2016 and allegedly wasn’t rehabilitated, as required by law, to hold the post.

Since then, the metro has received a notice of solvency rehabilitation from Makwarela.

Mettler subsequently informed the IEC’s Gauteng provincial electoral officer to immediately withdraw the declaration of a vacancy for the Cope proportional representative councillor.

“The IEC has since undertaken to process the letter.”

According to Bokaba, all Makwarela’s benefits and perks as mayor were reinstated at the time.

Metter made the decision to disqualify but Makwarela’s attorneys have since sent a letter to Mettler, saying that Makwarela’s ‘rehabilitation was finalised long before he was elected mayor’.

His attorneys demanded that Mettler withdraw his March 7 letter to the IEC.

They further demanded that Mettler ‘issue a statement to the media that [he] erred in [his] allegation that our client cannot produce proof of his rehabilitation’.

Unless Mettler provided an unconditional apology, Makwarela’s attorneys threatened to take further legal action.

“You are to comply with this demand, and deliver proof of your compliance to our offices before the close of business on Thursday. Failing to do so, our client will proceed with a high court application for an order prohibiting you from continuing with your unlawful allegations about, and actions against our client.”

The drama started on February 28 when Makwarela was unexpectedly elected as Tshwane mayor instead of the preferred candidate of the ruling multi-party coalition, led by the DA, Cilliers Brink.

Although Makwarela, who is a Cope member, was ostensibly a member of the coalition he was voted in thanks to votes by the opposition ANC and EFF as well as alleged ‘traitor’ ActionSA council members.

Makwarela resigns

Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba earlier notified the media that Tshwane was without a mayor – for the second time this week.

Bokaba said Makwarela officially resigned today, and that Cope was yet to submit a replacement for Cope’s former mayor.

He added that Mettler had convened a special council meeting for Monday during which it is expected that a mayor and a mayoral committee would be announced.

Cope will have to submit the necessary lists for the filling of the mayoral vacancy.