By Zukile Majova
A stunning revelation by the chief registrar of the North Gauteng High Court has exposed Tshwane mayor Murunwa Makwarela.
The chief registrar said Makwarela was attempting to run the city with a fake insolvency rehabilitation certificate.
This is the latest development in the mystery of how a man who did not qualify to be a councillor ended up being the speaker of council at Tshwane Metro and recently its executive mayor. On Friday, Makwarela quit as mayor of the city after the fake was exposed.
Councillor of the Congresses of the People Makwarela should never have been a councillor because he was declared insolvent in 2016.
But he rose to the position of speaker and later executive mayor of the troubled Metro.
He was forced to step down earlier this week after he failed to produce a statement showing he had gone through and completed a rehabilitation process.
On Wednesday he produced the statement that reinstated him to the position of mayor of Tshwane.
But on Friday morning the North Gauteng High Court issued a statement disputing this certificate as fake.
Tumelo Ledwaba the chief registrar of the Court in Pretoria alerted the office of Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that Makwarela’s certificate was fake.
“I Tumelo Refiliwe Ledwaba, the chief registrar of the High Court of South Africa division in Pretoria hereby confirm that the document purporting to be an order issued by this court was never issued in our court,” she said.
Since becoming a councillor, Makwarela has been using his seat bargain for powerful positions in the metro.
When he is not satisfied he switches allegiances with devastating consequences for the hung metro.
After no party secured an outright majority in the 2021 local government elections, Cope joined the DA-led coalition and formed a government with Makwarela as speaker of the council.
But last month Makwarela joined forces with the ANC coalition on condition that he becomes mayor.
It is the powerful position of mayor that has drawn his past to the fore and put him in trouble.
Pictured above: Murunwa Makwarela
Image source: Twitter
