DA says Makwarela's documents 'don't add up'

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has outlined the reasons behind questioning the validity of Tshwane Mayor Murunwa Makwarela’s recent documents regarding his insolvency. He was reinstated as mayor after being disqualified and removed from office this week.

The city manager revealed that Makwarela had failed to present evidence of a rehabilitation process due to a 2016 insolvency declaration against him. It is unconstitutional for any leader to occupy public office while declared insolvent.

However, Makwarela was reinstated after furnishing the council with the necessary documents, which the city’s legal team is now investigating.

The DA leader Solly Msimanga says, ”In his own declaration of the 2021 LGE submission from Congress of The People (COPE) to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), he says that he is not solvent. Now, how did you then declare that you are not solvent in 2021, yet in 2018 you have a court order that says you are then solvent? So, things don’t add up here. This is why we are going to be asking for a copy from the registrar of the court of this particular court order. If it is found that it is not there then he will be in a heap of trouble for having forged a court document.”

Makwarela is a COPE Councillor and the city’s former speaker.

COPE’s National Spokesperson Dennis Bloem says they are going to have meeting with Makwarela.

”We, as COPE, are going to meet with him. We will issue a statement after that meeting. We view this as a very serious issue.”