Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) boss Tshepo Mahanuke has been placed on special leave with immediate effect following allegations that he submitted fake qualifications to land the CEO job.
JRA said an interim CEO has been appointed pending the outcome of a “re-authentication” process regarding Mahanuke’s credentials.
The decision to place Mahanuke on special leave follows a recent report by Daily Maverick’s Ferial Haffajee exposing the 34-year-old questionable qualifications. The report alleged that the credentials he provided to secure the R3.5-million-a-year job were either lies or overstated.
“The board convened a special meeting to consider the issues pertaining to the allegations around the credentials of the CEO, Mr Tshepo Mahanuke. The resolution reached was to place the CEO on special leave, effective immediately, until the outcome of the re-authentication process is finalised,” said Thabo Motloung, the chairperson of the JRA board.
Motloung said that the investigation process was expected to be completed by 30 November.
“We have issued a statement. The terms of reference have been drafted and I think we then need to accord that process and not anticipate what will be the outcome. Based on the outcome that will be made public, like the fact that he’s been put on special leave has been made public today, and let’s just respect the process.
Mahanuke claimed to have a master’s degree from Harvard Business School that seemingly doesn’t exist.
He also has an honorary doctorate from the Trinity International University of Ambassadors, but it was found that the doctorate can allegedly be bought for a small donation.
Mahanuke was appointed CEO in August in a bid to usher in a new wave of service delivery and help stabilise the agency.
Source: Eyewitness News, IOL, Daily Maverick, image from Twitter: @SApresident2040