Former mayor of Tshwane, Dr Murunwa Makwarela, passes away

A former mayor of Tshwane Municipality, Dr. Murunwa Makwarela, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning, April 23. Makwarela had strong ties to Vhembe and grew up in Tshitereke village, next to Donald Fraser Hospital.

Speaking on a national radio station late on Tuesday afternoon, the family’s spokesperson, Reverend Abel Dube, said Makwarela had died at Leratong Hospital in Krugersdorp after a short, undisclosed illness. When asked if he had been sick, Dube said that when he had been preaching on Sunday at church, he had indicated that he was not feeling well.

“On Monday, he was very well, but later in the evening, he was not feeling well, and he was rushed to the hospital. He was there throughout the night, and he passed on in the morning,” he said.

Dube said that Dr. Murunwa Makwarela had led by example, even his congregation. He described him as a man who loved God and a man who loved people. “He shall be remembered for his honesty and his steadfastness. But we, as the family, request privacy as it’s still early days,” Dube said.

Makwarela, a Cope councillor, became the Tshwane mayor in February 2023, following the resignation of Randall Williams. He was nominated by the ANC and EFF and defeated DA candidate Cilliers Brink for the mayoral chain.

Shortly after his election, Makwarela was revealed to have been declared insolvent in 2016. The law prohibits a person who has been declared insolvent from holding public office.

Dr. Murunwa Makwarela was born in 1972 in Cullinan in Pretoria. He grew up in the village of Tshitereke, and his childhood was rooted in a community that would shape his character and aspirations.

He went to the University of Venda, where he pursued a bachelor of science in botany and zoology, graduating in 1994. His passion for the sciences led him to the University of Natal’s Durban campus, where he furthered his education with an honours degree in plant biotechnology in 1995. His quest for knowledge continued as he earned a master of science degree in 1997.

In 2006, he received his doctorate from the University of the Witwatersrand. During his doctoral studies, Makwarela conducted research at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Institute in Missouri, United States.

In 2005, Makwarela took on a leadership role as the first divisional head of gene banks at the Agricultural Research Council. His expertise in biotechnology and his vision for agricultural development were evident in his work, where he was responsible for overseeing the preservation and utilisation of plants’ genetic resources.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Makwarela’s funeral will be held at Tshitereke village on Sunday morning. The funeral service starts at home at 06:00.

News - Date: 26 April 2024

Victor Mukwevho

Victor Mukwevho Ne-vumbani joined the Mirror during it's inception in 1990. He joined the SABC newsroom in 1995, and was known by  listeners as "A u fhedzisela ari". He was a news editor for The Tembisan Newspaper from 2007 to 2015. He rejoined the Limpopo Mirror newspaper in June 2022 as a freelance journalist.

Email: [email protected]