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Matthews Wolmarans
MP
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
In office
19 June 2019 – 28 May 2024
Preceded byMildred Oliphant
ConstituencyNational List
In office
21 September 2017 – 7 May 2019
Preceded byBrian Molefe
ConstituencyNorth West
Personal details
Born
Matthews Johannes Wolmarans

1968 or 1969 (age 55–56)[1]
NationalitySouth African
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Children2
OccupationMember of Parliament
ProfessionPolitician

Matthews Johannes Wolmarans (born 1968 or 1969) is a South African politician who served as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa till 2024. A member of the African National Congress, he previously served in the assembly between 2017 and 2019. Wolmarans is also a former mayor of the Rustenburg Local Municipality.

Career

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Wolmarans is a member of the African National Congress. He served as the mayor of the Rustenburg Local Municipality.[2] He served on the provincial executive committee on the ANC in the North West.[3]

Murder conviction and subsequent acquittal

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In July 2012, Wolmarans, the then-speaker of the municipality, and his former bodyguard, Enoch Matshaba, were found guilty of the murder of Moss Phakoe, a corruption and fraud whistle-blower and ANC councillor in the Rustenburg Local Municipality.[2] Phakoe was shot dead in his driveway outside his home in Rustenburg on 14 March 2009, two days after he had handed over a dossier detailing fraud and corruption allegations in the municipality to former co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Sicelo Shiceka.[2] He also allegedly gave the dossier to senior ANC officials.[3] Wolmarans was sentenced to twenty years in prison, while Matshaba was sentenced to life in prison.[4]

He was jailed at the Rooigrond Prison in Mahikeng, the provincial capital of the North West province. In September 2012, the Mail & Guardian newspaper revealed that Wolmarans was still receiving a salary from the Rustenburg municipality, despite being imprisoned. The national executive committee of the ANC had instructed that his party membership be terminated to remove him as a councillor, however, the provincial executive committee did not act on the instruction.[5]

In June 2014, the Supreme Court of Appeal set aside the conviction of him and Matshaba, because a witness changed his evidence.[3] Wolmarans soon after announced that he would be suing the state and seven police officers for wrongfully arresting him and charging him with Phakoe's murder.[6][7]

Parliamentary career

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In August 2017, the North West ANC structure announced that it would be sending Wolmarans to the National Assembly of South Africa to fill the vacancy that was created by the resignation of former Eskom CEO, Brian Molefe. The decision was criticised by other ANC members.[8] Wolmarans was sworn into office on 21 September 2017 by deputy speaker Lechesa Tsenoli.[9] For the remainder of the term, Wolmarans sat on the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements and the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training. He was not placed high enough on the ANC's national candidate list for the general election on May 8, 2019 and as a consequence of this, he did not return to parliament immediately after the election.[10][11]

Former Labour minister and ANC MP Mildred Oliphant resigned her seat in the National Assembly in June 2019 after she was not reappointed to the cabinet. The ANC chose Wolmarans to fill her seat and he was sworn in as a Member of the National Assembly on 19 June.[12][13] On 27 June 2019, he was appointed to sit on the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy and the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour.[14]

Personal life

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Wolmarans' wife was diagnosed with cancer during his murder trial. He has two children.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Tau, Poloko (20 July 2021). "Slain councillor 'told Zuma about municipality graft'". IOL. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Tau, Poloko (17 July 2012). "Ex-mayor a murderer". Independent Online. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Stone, Setumo (19 June 2014). "Former Rustenburg mayor's murder conviction set aside". BusinessDay. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  4. ^ Tshehle, Boitumelo (18 July 2012). "Phakoe killers get 20 years, life". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Killer mayor Matthew Wolmarans still receives a salary". Mail & Guardian. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  6. ^ "I was framed – Matthew Wolmarans". The Citizen. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Matthew Wolmarans to sue state after release for Moss Phakoe's murder". City Press. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  8. ^ Tau, Poloko (20 August 2017). "Controversial ANC leader goes to Parliament". City Press. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  9. ^ @ANCParliament (21 September 2017). "Cde Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma & Cde Matthew Wolmarans will be sworn in as ANC Members of Parliament today at 12:30" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ "ANC Candidate Lists 2019".
  11. ^ "Experience: Mathews Wolmarans". People's Assembly. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  12. ^ Deklerk, Aphiwe (15 June 2019). "Kebby Maphatsoe headed back to parliament after Jeff Radebe quits". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  13. ^ @ParliamentofRSA (19 June 2019). "Speaker Thandi Modise has just sworn in new National Assembly MPs, all from the ANCParliament: Matthews Wolmarans, Zanele Nkomo, Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, Kebby Maphatsoe & Alexandra Beukes 6thParliament" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "Announcements, tablings and committee reports" (PDF). Parliament of South Africa. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Mayor jailed".
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