By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Dr Murunwa Makwarela has effectively been reinstated as the City of Tshwane’s executive mayor.
Makwarela was disqualified as a councillor after being unable to prove to the council that he was rehabilitated following his sequestration. He was declared insolvent in August 2016.
The law prohibits people who are sequestrated from holding public office.
Makwarela was elected as a PR councillor for Cope despite his sequestration.
He held the Tshwane speaker position, and on 28 February, he was elected mayor.
Makwarela’s troubles began when the DA wrote to City manager Johann Mettler last week requesting him to establish whether Makwarela had obtained a rehabilitation order after being declared insolvent and sequestrated in the Gauteng High Court in 2016.
Makwarela could not immediately produce proof and asked for an extension, which the city manager could not immediately fulfil.
On Thursday, he submitted a solvency clearance certificate, which showed he was rehabilitated in 2018.
His full mayoral benefits have been instated.
Tshwane head of communication Selby Bokaba said in a statement on Thursday, the city manager of Tshwane, Johann Mettler, has received a notice of solvency rehabilitation from councillor Murunwa Makwarela this morning (Thursday). He has subsequently informed the Gauteng Provincial Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to immediately withdraw the declaration of a vacancy for the Congress of the People (Cope) proportional representative (PR) councillor.
“The IEC has confirmed receipt of a letter from the city manager for the withdrawal of the vacancy declaration and undertook to process it accordingly, as they are still within the 21-day time limit. Accordingly, all the benefits and perks accorded to Dr Makwarela as the executive mayor of the City of Tshwane have been reinstated,” Bokaba added.
City of Tshwane mayors have since 2016 failed to finish their five-year terms. Former mayor Solly Msimanga, who had won the City of Tshwane for the DA in the August 2016 local government elections, resigned in January 2019 amid the GladAfrica scandal.
Msimanga’s successor, Stevens Mokgalapa, resigned in November 2019. He had assumed the mayorship in February of that same year. He stepped down after allegedly being embroiled in a sex scandal with then Tshwane MMC for roads and transport Sheila Senkubuge.