Tshwane mayor Murunwa Makwarela's insolvency case has sparked mixed reactions, with some questioning the credibility of the politician who is also an “apostle”.
When Makwarela is not in council or attending to issues in Tshwane, he is at the pulpit at The Righteousness of God Ministries in Pretoria.
The church's Facebook page advertises services by Makwarela every Sunday and daily scriptures from the “apostle”.
While it is believed by many that “men of the cloth” are the moral compass of society, Makwarela has been shrouded in controversy this week.
Days after being elected mayor he was “disqualified” because of an insolvency declaration case dating back to 2016.
According to the constitution, an individual who is declared an unrehabilitated insolvent cannot hold public office.
City manager Johann Mettler’s office asked Makwarela to prove he has been rehabilitated, but it is said he failed to provide evidence.
Makwarela insisted he was rehabilitated and produced a document he alleged proved this.
He was reinstated but the authenticity of the document was questioned.
The chief registrar in the office of the chief justice confirmed on Friday that the supposed court order is fake.
POLL | Would a 'man of the cloth' lie about their credentials?
Image: Gallo Images/Beeld/Deaan Vivier
Tshwane mayor Murunwa Makwarela's insolvency case has sparked mixed reactions, with some questioning the credibility of the politician who is also an “apostle”.
When Makwarela is not in council or attending to issues in Tshwane, he is at the pulpit at The Righteousness of God Ministries in Pretoria.
The church's Facebook page advertises services by Makwarela every Sunday and daily scriptures from the “apostle”.
While it is believed by many that “men of the cloth” are the moral compass of society, Makwarela has been shrouded in controversy this week.
Days after being elected mayor he was “disqualified” because of an insolvency declaration case dating back to 2016.
According to the constitution, an individual who is declared an unrehabilitated insolvent cannot hold public office.
City manager Johann Mettler’s office asked Makwarela to prove he has been rehabilitated, but it is said he failed to provide evidence.
Makwarela insisted he was rehabilitated and produced a document he alleged proved this.
He was reinstated but the authenticity of the document was questioned.
The chief registrar in the office of the chief justice confirmed on Friday that the supposed court order is fake.
TimesLIVE said legal experts listed errors and inconsistencies in the order — including grammatical flaws and structural discrepancies — submitted by Makwarela.
The document appears to have come from the “North Court of South Africa Gauteng division Pretoria” instead of the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng division, Pretoria.
Tshwane city spokesperson Selby Bokaba said Mettler has requested an investigation into aspects of the rehabilitation notice and to verify its legitimacy.
“This was done as a consequence of issues brought to his attention during the course of yesterday [Thursday],” said Bokaba.
TimesLIVE
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