Pretoria - Tshwane council Speaker Dr Murunwa Makwarela has been accused of failing to disclose that he was placed on suspension while working at the Joburg Fresh Produce Market for alleged sexual harassment.
The alleged victim was a former chief executive of the City of Joburg. This revelation was contained in a letter penned by the strategic executive in the Speaker’s Office, Tiyiselani Babane. He accused Makwarela of failing to disclose the matter to the council at the time of his nomination as Speaker.
Babane wanted the matter to be investigated to determine whether it constituted a breach of the code of conduct for councillors.
The seven-page letter, which the Pretoria News has seen, yesterday became a bone of contention during an ordinary council meeting at Tshwane House, where the ANC wanted to use it as a springboard to oust Makwarela.
EFF leader Obakeng Ramabodu proposed that the council sitting be postponed to allow for the motion to discuss the Speaker’s fate to be included in the agenda. ActionSA said it deemed it unfit for Makwarela to be chairing the meeting as his name was being dragged into disrepute.
The DA’s Jacqui Uys said the letter had already been sent to the ethics committee for investigation. ANC chief whip Aaron Maluleka said his party would report the Speaker to the Office of the Public Protector for investigation.
Makwarela refused to entertain the contents of the letter and to recuse himself, saying the motion brought up by the parties was not part of the council agenda yesterday.
It was agreed that a special council would be convened in seven days to deal with the allegations raised in the letter.
Babane also brought up in the letter that Makwarela was being investigated by the SAPS for a case of corruption.
“Mr Bongani Khosa, in the office of the city manager, asked me to arrange for you to meet him regarding an alleged case of corruption against you.
“He showed me a picture of an SAPS file that he alleged is the docket of the case. According to Mr Khosa, investigations on this matter are at an advanced stage,” Babane wrote in the letter.
He also accused Makwarela of abusing his political power by demanding VIP protection more than a month before he assumed office.
In the letter, which the Pretoria News has seen, Babane asked that Makwarela be investigated for possible breach of the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act 1998, by using the VIP protection service as a part-time councillor.
He wanted the investigation to determine whether Makwarela be provided with protection service a month before he was elected as Speaker.
Makwarela was further accused of insisting on having a metro police presence deployed to his place of residence. Babane said the demand constituted a breach of the code of councillors and called for it to be part of the probe.
On March 11, Babane was served with a letter of notice to terminate his contract, which he believed was “illegal” because his term in office was due to end on April 30, 2022.
“If my suspicion is true, the instruction is illegal because it contradicts the terms of employment contract in place,” he wrote.
ANC caucus leader Frans Boshielo said the level of allegations against Makwarela were very serious and that he should be removed from his office.
The party called for an investigation into the allegations, including the fitness of Makwarela to hold public office and as Speaker of the council.
Pretoria News