Pretoria - Cope has fired the disgraced former Tshwane mayor Dr Murunwa Makwarela after it was confirmed on Friday that he had submitted a fake court order to retain the mayoral chain.
Cope’s deputy president William Madisha said the party was extremely angry after Makwarela submitted a fake insolvency rehabilitation certificate in a bid to retain the mayorship after being backed by the ANC and EFF for the position.
Madisha spoke to the media on Friday after Makwarela resigned as the executive mayor and councillor when the North Gauteng High Court revealed that his debt rehabilitation certificate was fake.
Madisha also told the media that Makwarela was no longer a member of Cope, and said the party would be taking legal action against him.
“I must emphasise that Cope believes in a code of conduct. We have a code of conduct. What this man has done is extremely unfortunate, it’s terrible, and we want to apologise to the people of Tshwane.
“We are very angry, and we want to apologise to the people of Tshwane and the people of South Africa,” he said.
Madisha said they were not aware of Makwarela’s insolvency status, as they believed the provincial council had conducted a background check on him.
“What he has done is extremely wrong, but I want to emphasise that as Cope we are sorry to the people of Tshwane, we are sorry to the people of Gauteng, and we are sorry to the people of South Africa,” he said.
Madisha also added that Makwerela would have to pay back all the money he was paid during the time he was a councillor and speaker in the Tshwane municipality.
Makwarela was elected as the speaker of the council in January last year.
“How much has he received?” he asked.
“That money belongs to the people of South Africa, not in his pocket, and if he has done all this kind of nonsense, perhaps the people of South Africa must say he must bring back all that money,” Madisha added.
Meanwhile, Tshwane’s city manager, Johann Mettler, said he had received and accepted Makwarela’s resignation letter.
Mettler said he had since written to the Gauteng provincial officer of the Electoral Commission of SA informing them of a casual vacancy.
Mettler said Cope would have to submit the necessary lists for filling the vacancy.
IOL