Tshwane mayor calls it quits
“We need to look at a bouquet of issues such as whether we will claim any monies that Makwarela received as councillor and as Speaker.”
Tshwane was without a mayor again this week as Murunwa Makwarela officially resigned, after having allegedly submitted falsified rehabilitation documents to the city manager.
Makwarela resigned on Friday after it was revealed that the rehabilitation notice served to the city manager, Johann Mettler, on Thursday by his lawyers was allegedly fake.
Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba notified the media that Tshwane was without a mayor – for the second time this week.
Bokaba said Makwarela had resigned and Cope was yet to submit a replacement for Cope’s former mayor.
He said Mettler had convened a special council meeting for Monday during which it was expected that a mayor and a mayoral committee would be announced.
“We need to look at a bouquet of issues such as whether we will claim any monies that Makwarela received as councillor and as Speaker.”
The Congress of the People will have to submit the necessary lists for the filling of the mayoral vacancy.
Dr Makwarela was elected to the position of Speaker of Council in January 2022 and as executive mayor of Tshwane on February 28, 2023
DA ward councillor Jacqui Uys also intended to open a criminal case against Makwarela.
“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.
“This was done as a result of various issues that were brought to Mettler’s attention yesterday,” said Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba.
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.
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 by the opposition ANC and EFF as well as alleged “traitor” ActionSA council members.
CATCH UP: Chief Justice has no record of Makwarela’s 2016 insolvency rehabilitation notice
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