JRA boss resigns amid shake-up
In wake of the suspension of the agency’s ethics officer
YET another head has rolled in the City of Joburg’s administration. The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has confirmed the resignation of its managing director, Dr Sean Phillips, effective on Friday.
An insider told The Star that this followed the suspension of the JRA company secretary/ethics officer last week. The city has confirmed the resignation.
Mayoral spokesman Tony Taverna Turisan said it was with “great disappointment that the city had accepted Phillips’s resignation”.
He confirmed that Phillips was not forced to leave, but had done so voluntarily.
It is believed that there was a breakdown of relations between the JRA and Phillips over new control measures being put in place in the agency.
The JRA executive management and its board expressed their appreciation for Phillips’ leadership and contribution since his appointment last May.
“Dr Phillips is an exceptional civil engineering professional with strong performance-monitoring and evaluation experience at both national and municipal levels, coupled with operational management expertise,” JRA board chairperson, Sipho Tshabalala, said.
“Regrettably, the JRA accepted his resignation. His focus on organisational performance and improvements to service delivery have been widely acknowledged and his expertise in the development of operational systems and procedures have set a solid foundation for a performance-oriented organisation.
“The benefits of his contribution to the JRA will continue to be realised in the years to come. We wish him well in his future endeavours,” he added.
The JRA board will be advertising the position of managing director as soon as possible. To ensure that managerial commitments are met, the JRA’s chief financial officer, Goodwill Mbatha, has been appointed as the acting managing director, with immediate effect.
This follows the axing of Pikitup and City Power managing directors Amanda Nair and Sicelo Xulu, respectively.