By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Supplied.
The City of Tshwane has elected Dr Murunwa Makwarela unopposed as the council speaker, following the resignation of Katlego Mathebe
Mathebe resigned to assume the role of Environment and Agriculture Management MMC, the city’s mayor Randall Williams said in a statement on Wednesday.
Williams said her appointment means “all ten multiparty mayoral committee positions have now been filled”.
Mathebe’s resignation was due to the Democratic Alliance (DA) trading her position with Congress of the People (Cope) Tshwane regional chairperson Makwarela, as per coalition agreement talks last year.
Makwarela’s educational background includes a PhD in genetic engineering obtained from both Wits University and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St Louis, Missouri in the United States of America in 2005.
He is currently the Tshwane regional chairperson for Cope, is a genetics engineer registered as a professional scientist with South African Council of Natural Scientists.
The environment and agriculture portfolio was previously headed by the DA’s Dana Wannenburg.
[HAPPENING NOW] Dr Murunwa Makwarela has been elected unopposed as Speaker of Tshwane Council. This comes after the resignation of Ald Katlego Mathebe on Tuesday, 18 January 2022. @CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/XOUYgD1NQj
— Executive Mayor, Randall Williams (@tshwane_mayor) January 20, 2022
“On behalf of the Tshwane metro, I would like to thank Katlego Mathebe for her sterling work during her tenure as speaker of council. She presided over council meetings in a commendable manner during some of the most challenging political periods in the metro,” Williams said.
Cope holds one seat in the Tshwane council. Other political parties forming part of the city’s multi-party mayoral committee agreement include the Freedom Front Plus and ActionSA.
Mathebe had been the City of Tshwane council speaker since 2016, and was re-elected unopposed on November 23 last year.