Former Tshwane mayor had premonition about his passing

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it would need the death certificate of former Tshwane mayor Murunwa Makwarela before the fraud charges against him could be withdrawn.

Makwarela died on Tuesday morning at Leratong Hospital in Krugersdorp following a short illness. His death comes as he was facing fraud charges relating to his short stint as a mayor, where he was accused of submitting fake documents to prove he was no longer insolvent. 

NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said: "The state would have to be furnished with his death certificate for the matter to be withdrawn and removed from the court roll."

She added that Makwarela appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court last week and the case was postponed to May 31.

Makwarela made headlines in 2023 when he was elected Tshwane mayor, but his tenure was short-lived and he was ousted after allegations that he submitted to the municipality a fake court rehabilitation certificate to prove he was no longer insolvent.

He was out on bail of R10,000 after being charged with two counts of fraud.

On Tuesday, Makwarela's family said before he was admitted to hospital, he had been feeling weak.

Family spokesperson Reverend Abel Dube said Makwarela started feeling unwell late on Monday afternoon before he was rushed to a doctor and admitted to hospital.

"He wasn't sick at all, he was okay. He just felt weak around 4 to 5pm and he was taken to the doctor... from there he was admitted [in hospital] and this morning he passed on.

"The children left the house to go to shops [on Monday] and when they came back their father had gone to the doctor and early this morning [Tuesday], they were told the father had passed on," Dube said.

Makwarela is survived by his wife and two daughters.

"He will be remembered for his hard work. We, as the family, request privacy as it’s still early days," Dube said.

In a short video on Tuesday, speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana said: "It is a sad day for us because we have lost an important person, the former speaker, a former mayor and councillor of Tshwane, which is Dr Makwarela.

"He has lost his life this morning... It is a sad day for the city, for the office of the speaker... He is my predecessor, I took over from him and I continued from where he left off. I'd like to say to the family and the residents of Tshwane, condolences..."

Makwarela led a Pretoria-based church, Righteousness of God Ministries, and shared daily motivational messages. His last message shared on social media on Monday was a scripture from the book of John, which reads: “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

“Saints, all believers hail from heaven but function on Earth. Earth is our post to fulfil the mandate we receive from God. Think about it, Jesus hailed from heaven to fulfil His God-given mandate. Our mandate will also one day finish when the day of the Lord comes. We'll all be transformed and be like Him and stay with Him forever."