‘I’m still the Tshwane mayor’, insists Murunwa Makwarela

The City of Tshwane is heading for a new mayor after Congress of the People (Cope’s) candidate Dr Murunwa Makwarela was disqualified, accused of dishonesty and failing to disclose his sequestration.

Last week, Makwarela won the election by 112 votes to 101 votes against the Democratic Alliance’s Cilliers Brink during a special council meeting. But on Wednesday, Makwarela said he would report to work until the correct procedure was followed.

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“Yes, I considered myself a legitimate mayor,” he said in a radio interview.

Makwarela said he would issue his rehabilitation certificate through the council and not the media.

“It has been taken care of,” he said.

‘No evidence’

Jacqui Uys, DA caucus chair for the city, said it was clear Makwarela cannot produce such evidence.

“He misled the public when he accepted his nomination as councillor on 1 November 2021,” she said.

Political lecturer at North-West University Dr Benjamin Rapanyane said the announcement of the insolvency of Makwarela marks a new era in Tshwane politics.

“The only question was who voted for someone who is insolvent and cannot hold public office?” he asked.

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Rapanyane said it would have a major political effect on those who voted for such a mayor.

“The ANC and EFF [Economic Freedom Fighters] councillors will have to face the electorates during elections and explain such a historical blunder,” he said.

Rapanyane said Makwarela’s sequestration in the High Court in Pretoria in 2016 meant the process of removing, separating and seizing anything from the possession of its owner under the law for the benefit of creditors or the state.

“Those who voted for the mayor should have known better than to vote for a sequestrated person. They cannot be trusted with government matters,” he said.

Makwarela can be reinstated

Professor Kgothatso Shai, head of the department of cultural and political studies at the University of Limpopo, said the recent developments were an insult to democracy.

“Considering the number of years he has served as a councillor under different administrations, the recent developments are nothing but an insult to our democracy and, in particular, exposes fundamental weaknesses in our clearance systems,” he said.

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Political analyst Piet Croucamp said it was simple.

“If he comes up with the certificate, he can be reinstated into his position.”

Croucamp said if opposition parties wanted to remove Makwarela, they would have to file for a motion of no confidence.

“It can become a long process but it seems inevitable that eventually he will be removed,” he said.

PR councillor vacancy

Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) spokesperson Kate Bapela said the IEC was notified of a proportional representative (PR) councillor vacancy in the municipality by the city’s municipal manager.

“In the current case, the municipal manager has declared the vacancy because the councillor is disqualified in terms of the constitution in that the councillor falls short of the requirements relating to persons declared unrehabilitated insolvents.”

Bapela said the legal requirement is for a party to nominate a candidate and the candidate to sign undertakings, confirming the candidate was not disqualified from standing for elections in terms of the constitution or any applicable legislation.

“The party that had nominated the councillor has 21 days from the date of the vacancy to amend its party list and to indicate to the IEC a candidate to be declared elected to the vacant seat.

“If the party failed to amend its list, the chief electoral officer will declare the candidate at the top of the existing list elected, after the expiry of the 21 days afforded to the party,” she said.

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– marizkac@citizen.co.za