Chief Justice has no record of Makwarela’s 2016 insolvency rehabilitation notice

Another twist to the position of Tshwane mayor has unfolded as it was revealed that the rehabilitation notice served to the city manager by Murunwa Makwarela’s lawyers is fake.

“No rehabilitation order has ever been issued regarding the parties named in the said document,” said 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 further said 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 Makwarela.

Makwarela’s notice was served on Thursday, while an investigation was launched on Friday.

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

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

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.

Makwarela was disqualified by Mettler earlier the week after he failed to produce evidence that he was rehabilitated.

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, 9 March 2023. 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 ruling multi-party coalition led by the DA’s preferred candidate, 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.

CATCH UP: One week later – and not Tshwane mayor anymore

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