The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria says Tshwane mayor Dr Murunwa Makwarela’s rehabilitation certificate is fake and has referred the matter to the Hawks for criminal investigation.

Makwarela was disqualified as a councillor earlier this week after it emerged he was declared insolvent in 2016.

He failed to submit proof on the set deadline by city manager Johann Mettler but on Thursday submitted proof and was reinstated.

The proof he emailed to Mettler was a court order that was deemed fake by the Office of the Chief Justice on Friday.

Chief registrar of the Gauteng High Court Tumelo Ledwaba wrote to the office of the chief justice on Friday saying the certificate presented by Makwarela was never issued by the court.

"I, Tumelo Refilwe Ledwaba, the Chief Registrar of the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, hereby confirm that the document purporting to be an order issued by this court was never issued in our court.

"I also confirm that no rehabilitation order has ever been issued regarding the parties named in the said document. I am referring this matter to the office of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations for ... criminal proceedings," 

Since the court statement came out, the multi-party coalition in Tshwane consisting of the DA, ActionSA, FF+, IFP and the ACDP said they would be opening a case at the Brooklyn police station.

Meanwhile, Makwarela's profile as mayor of Tshwane has since been removed from the municipality's website.