FORMER CITY OF TSHWANE MAYOR APPEARS IN COURT
The former City of Tshwane Mayor, Dr Murunwa Makwarela (51), has been granted R10 000 bail by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Makwarela, who is a member of the Congress of the People (COPE), is facing a schedule 5 offence of two counts of fraud.
It is alleged that from 01 November 2021 to March 2023 when Makwarela was appointed as a councillor, a speaker and later an executive mayor at the City of Tshwane. During that period, he fraudulently received renumeration of over R1.4 million after he failed to declare to the IEC and the City of Tshwane that his estate was placed under final sequestration on 08 August 2016, that he had not been rehabilitated yet and that he was ineligible to be elected as a councillor. It is further alleged that on 09 March 2023 Makwarela, submitted a fraudulent document to the office of the City Manager and the City of Tshwane purported, to be an order of the court that he was rehabilitated on 07 February 2018.
In court he asked to be released on bail and submitted an affidavit where he told the court that he intends to plead not guilty to the charges.
The State Advocate Willem Van Zyl did not oppose his bail application. However, he asked the court to impose strict conditions that he should hand over his passport to the investigating officer and that he may not leave the Gauteng province without prior permission obtained from the investigating officer. Moreover, he should not make contact directly or indirectly with any personnel employed by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Office of the Chief Justice, Municipal Manager and any personnel of the Independent Electoral Commission.
The matter was postponed to 02 May 2023 for disclosure of the docket and instructions.
