Directors sought for Joburg units amid probe
The City of Johannesburg has called for applications for interim nonexecutive director posts for the boards of the Joburg Roads Agency (JRA), Metrobus and the Johannesburg Social Housing Company.
Spokeswoman Tanya Heydenrych said on Monday the advert would run until Sunday, after which candidates would be shortlisted and interviewed.
The three units, which were under the control of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), were yet to hold their annual general meetings. JRA particularly has been riddled with governance failures and allegations of corruption.
The investigation into allegations of corruption at the JRA was almost complete, mayor Herman Mashaba’s office said on Monday.
The JRA has been accused of governance failures under the leadership of board chairman Sipho Tshabalala.
The chaos in the three metro units has resulted in political tension between the city’s coalition partners, the IFP and Mashaba’s DA. Tshabalala was appointed by IFP member of the mayoral committee (MMC) Nonhlanhla Makhuba.
Mashaba axed housing MMC Mzobanzi Ntuli of the IFP, one of two IFP MMCs, on May 18 and replaced him with Meshack van Wyk of the African Christian Democratic Party.
The department had not improved under Ntuli’s leadership, Mashaba had said.
Gauteng IFP leader Bonginkosi Dhlamini said they were consulting on how to respond to what he described as Mashaba’s “unilateral breaking of the coalition agreement”.
The JRA faced upheaval in 2017 when MD Sean Phillips and head of infrastructure development Mpho Kau resigned.
Former company secretary Karen Mills was suspended after making a protected disclosure to the city’s investigative unit before settling with the JRA.
Phillips alleged that board chairman Tshabalala had “bluntly” requested him not to award any tenders without his [Tshabalala’s] involvement.
Phillips also alleged that after he had informed Tshabalala this was illegal, the chairman asked to be “informally” involved.
It has since come to light in an amaBhungane investigation that after a contract for the rehabilitation of the M1 was terminated, Khato Civils took over the contract from White Hazy without it going out to tender. It was alleged that upfront payments were made to Khato Civils.