Johannesburg Development Agency boss Themba Mathibe was arrested on money laundering charges last week, yet he is still in his post. Despite facing criminal charges, being arrested and released on R50,000 bail, Themba Mathibe, chief executive officer of the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), remains in his post, with the City of Johannesburg insisting that governance processes are being followed and that operations continue uninterrupted. According to city spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane, there has been no interruption in the agency’s work, no suspension of projects and no basis, at this stage, to alter existing leadership arrangements.
He said employment and governance processes had to be allowed to run their course, separate from the criminal justice process. Modingoane confirmed that Mathibe remained the substantive CEO of the JDA and continued to perform his delegated functions. His acting appointment at the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joscho) ended on 31 January, and the entity was operating under its existing governance structures.
The city rejected claims that Mathibe received dual salaries while holding leadership roles at both entities and said there were no adverse findings against him by the Auditor-General or through internal audit processes. Law-enforcement authorities have said money laundering charges against Mathibe arise from an investigation into alleged procurement irregularities and that further investigations are continuing. The city has emphasised that the criminal process runs on a separate track from municipal employment and governance decisions.
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The Democratic Alliance has criticised the city’s decision to keep Mathibe in his post while the criminal case proceeds. Daniel Schay, the DA’s shadow MMC for development planning, said the city’s stance raised concerns about judgment and risk management at a key municipal entity. Schay said that while the presumption of innocence applied, retaining an arrested and charged CEO at the helm of the JDA undermined public confidence and warranted clearer justification and transparency from the shareholder.
The city’s position has revived debate around Mathibe’s original appointment, a controversy that predates his arrest by several months and is formally unrelated to the criminal charges he now faces. In June 2024, the DA objected to his appointment as JDA CEO, raising concerns about transparency, merit-based selection and political influence. At the time, Schay said the appointment process appeared opaque and inconsistent with the intent of Section 71B(1) of the Municipal Systems Amendment Act, which was introduced to professionalise senior municipal appointments.
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