PHUTI MOSOMANE
THE recently elected City of Tshwane Mayor Murunwa Makwarela has been disqualified as a Proportional Representative (PR) Councillor.
Makwarela, a prominent businessman and COPE councillor, was elected as the new mayor of Tshwane almost two weeks ago.
According to a letter sent to the Gauteng Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), City Manager Johann Mettler said Makwarela is disqualified in terms of Section 47 (1) (c) of the constitution which state that people who are “unrehabilitated insolvents” cannot hold public office.
“The City Manager of City of Tshwane Johann Mettler has written to the Gauteng Provincial officer of the IEC this morning informing him of a casual vacancy which has occurred at the city following the disqualification of a Congress of the People (COPE) Proportional Representative (PR) Councillor Dr. Murunwa Makwarela,” City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said in a media statement.
Although Makwarela was declared insolvent in 2016, Mettler gave him until today [Tuesday] to prove that he has been rehabilitated.
This simply means the City of Tshwane is without a mayor given that only councillors can be appointed to the position.
An insolvent is a debtor whose estate [everything, including money, that a person owns] is under sequestration. If a person is insolvent and want to be rehabilitated [no longer insolvent] within ten years of having been declared insolvent, can apply to court for rehabilitation.
It is interesting that Makwarela was allowed to be elected a speaker of Council despite his insolvency dating back to 2016.
The DA-led coalition partners at the time, supported his election as speaker until last week when things changed.
Makwarela was elected to the position of executive mayor last week Tuesday on 28 February 2023.
A total of 213 councillors voted during the council meeting on Tuesday.
Makwarela received 112 votes, beating DA candidate, Cilliers Brink, who got 101 votes.
Makwarela, who was Tshwane Council Speaker and holds the party’s single seat in council, was nominated by African Transformation Movement (ATM), supported by African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
The vacancy must be filled within 14 days after the 21 days period.
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