Tshwane mayor, Dr Murunwa Makwarela resigned with immediate effect on Friday following allegations of fraud. Makwarela allegedly submitted a fake rehabilitation certificate to the city manager on Thursday to prove he was no longer insolvent. He was elected as a mayor on 1 March, removed from the position on the 7th, re-instated on the 9th and resigned on the 10th.
DISQUALIFIES AD A COUNCILLOR
Makwarela was disqualified as the mayor on Tuesday after it was discovered that he was declared insolvent in 2016. In terms of Section 47(1)(C) of the Constitution, a person who is unrehabilitated insolvent cannot hold public office as a councillor. City manager Johann Mettler had written to the Gauteng IEC, informing them of the mayoral vacancy. Mettler’s office also gave Makwarela 24 hours to provide evidence that he was rehabilitated, he subsequently provided the certificate to the city manager on Thursday, but the multi-coalition party questioned the authenticity of the certificate.
FAKE REHABILITATION CERTIFICARE
In a statement on Thursday, the Pretoria High Court refuted issuing Makwarela with a rehabilitation certificate. "I Tumelo Refilwe Ledwaba, the Chief Registrar of the High Court of South Africa Gauteng Division Pretoria hereby confirm that a document purporting to be an order issued by this court was never issued in our court. I also confirm that no rehabilitation order has ever been issued regarding the parties named in the said document,” the statement said.
CRIMINAL CHARGES
On Thursday, Action SA's Michael Beaumount said the certificate raised red flags. "We've seen the copy, we've analysed it, we've had experts look at this and there are a number of things about that certificate that immediately raised major concerns," he said. The multi-party coalition consisting of IFP, DA, Action SA and ACDP in Tshwane released a statement saying they will be laying criminal charges against Makwarela at the Brooklyn Police Station on Friday. These charges relate to allegations that Makwarela knowingly supplied falsified and fraudulent documentation to the City of Tshwane.
