Pretoria – Dr. Murunwa Makwarela has quit in a huff as Tshwane Executive Mayor following revelations earlier Friday that the insolvency rehabilitation certificate, he submitted to the City Manager was fake.
Tshwane City Manager Johann Mettler said on Friday he received and accepted the resignation letter from Cllr Makwarela as executive mayor of the city which was “with immediate effect”.
His resignation came in the wake of representatives of the Multi-Party Coalition in Tshwane announcing their intention to lay a criminal complaint against him at the Brooklyn Police Station.
The Multi-Party Coalition comprises the Democratic Alliance (DA), ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus, Inkatha Freedom Party, and African Christian Democratic Party.
These charges relate to allegations that Dr. Makwarela – whose position as mayor of the City of Tshwane has been in jeopardy since his sequestration became public – knowingly supplied falsified and fraudulent documentation to the City of Tshwane.
Council rules do not permit a sequestrated person to be a councillor or to assume high office such as a mayor.
The mayor, who is a member of the Congress of the People (COPE), supplied a certificate of rehabilitation that has since become the subject of fraud investigations.
COPE has since confirmed that Dr. Makwarela has resigned just 10 days into the mayor position.
COPE also resolved to immediately withdraw Dr. Makwarela’s name from its list of representatives at the IEC.
“Residents have been dismayed and left in disbelief by the shameless and dishonest politicking that has seen the governance of the City destabilised and the ability of residents to receive service delivery disrupted,” the Multi-Party Coalition said.
“Dr. Makwarela’s integrity and questionable legitimacy as a duly elected City councillor have been at the nexus of these unfortunate events.
“Matters have now escalated to a point where criminal procedures against Dr. Makwarela are necessary for the defense of the integrity of the Tshwane City Council.
“The residents of the City deserve integrity and accountability from their elected representatives.
“The Multi-Party will ensure this is not denied to the people of Tshwane.”
Earlier Friday, Dr. Makwarela declined to answer questions, saying he was not available because he was attending to the demise of two of his relatives.
“The Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Cllr Murunwa Makwarela, humbly requests that members of the press liaise with his communication office for any media inquiries,” said a terse communique from the mayor’s office.
“The Executive Mayor further wishes to inform the press that he is attending to a personal matter of bereavement, having lost two close family members, and will therefore not be taking any media inquiries.”
All queries were referred to the Mayoral Head of Communication, Sipho Stuurman.
City Manager Mettler said he has since written to the Gauteng Provincial Electoral Officer of the IEC informing him of a casual vacancy which has occurred at the City following the disqualification of a COPE Proportional Representative Councillor, Dr. Makwarela.
Dr. Makwarela, the former Speaker, was elected mayor with the backing of the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters.
Commenting on the shenanigans, the ANC said it, “reiterates its position that it views in serious light the allegations brought against the Executive Mayor Dr. Makwarela; that he assumed office while he was sequestrated.
“We are also disturbed by recent revelations by the Office of the Chief Justice that the rehabilitation letter submitted by Dr. Murunwa Makwarela to the City Manager is fraudulent.”
The ANC said it wishes to distance itself from the conduct of Dr. Makwarela and welcomes his resignation.
Dr. Makwarela replaced the DA’s Randall Williams who resigned last month, on 13 February, under a cloud.
