Plant scientist, pastor, ex-mayor Murunwa Makwarela granted R10k bail for fraud rap

Former Tshwane mayor Murunwa Makwarela faces two counts of fraud and was granted R10,000 bail after appearing before the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court on Monday.

Makwarela’s first charge relates to him submitting a fake rehabilitation court certificate that falsely indicated he was no longer insolvent.

The second charge stems from his time as a councillor and speaker of Tshwane without disclosing his insolvent status, thus earning a total of more than R1.4m.

Despite handing himself over to the Brooklyn police station on Monday morning, Makwarela told the court that he intends to plead not guilty.

National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the state found no need to oppose bail. This is despite Makwarela facing a schedule 5 crime, she said.

“As the state, we have no grounds to oppose bail. He is not a flight risk and his address was confirmed and he met all the requirements warranting the granting of bail. These are, however, serious charges and these are schedule 5 offences,” she said.

Hawks spokesperson Col Katlego Mogale said investigations were ongoing and more arrests were possible.

“The investigation is under way to find out the origins of the fake certificate. This is a serious offence which resulted in people having jobs not due to them because of handing over fraudulent certificates,” Mogale said.

The matter has been postponed to May 2 for disclosure of the docket and instructions from legal representatives. 

Makwarela, from the Congress of the People (COPE) , became mayor in February after the resignation of Randall Williams. This after the EFF and ANC nominated and elected Makwarela, defeating and blindsiding DA candidate Cilliers Brink for the mayoral seat.

Makwarela's position was revoked the next day after the DA exposed that the former speaker became insolvent in 2016. 

To dismiss these claims, Makwarela presented a rehabilitation certificate in an attempt to prove the DA wrong.

This allowed for him to be reinstated, but TimesLIVE revealed that such a certificate was fake after the registrar of the office of the chief justice confirmed that such a certificate was not issued.

Shortly after the dramatic turn of events, Makwarela resigned as the mayor, councillor and as the regional chairperson of COPE.

In his resignation letter seen by TimesLIVE, he told the city manager that vacating the office was not an admission of guilt but a way for him to save the name of the municipality.

Makwarela studied ethnobotany and has a PhD in genetic engineering from Wits University.

Born in Cullinan at a prison facility where his father worked as a prison warder, he moved to Venda with his family when he was four years old.

A year later, a young Makwarela followed his siblings to school, where he was allowed to attend class with them without being enrolled to keep him occupied. Makwarela took part in the school work and says he was immediately promoted to sub B, where he excelled in his academics. He went to a science high school in Venda.

“My father inspired me to do mathematics. My school principal said I am good at history, but I cried to my dad and said I want to do something with mathematics and science.

“I then went to the University of Venda where I studied botany, then went to UKZN to do my honours and masters in ethnobotany,” he said during his time as speaker. 

He was appointed to work at the City of Tshwane in 2007, where he established the city’s gene bank, studied the city’s plants and was behind the landscaping idea at the Fountains Circle.

His contract with the city came to an end in 2012. 

In 2013, he said he received a calling to become a pastor. 

“I was trained properly and graduated as a minister of the gospel. I am ordained and my spiritual title is apostle,” Makwarela said. 

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.