Joburg Development Agency boss arrested with ‘substantial’ amounts of cash

Themba Mathibe, the CEO of the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), who doubles up as acting chief executive officer of the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco), was arrested at his home late on Tuesday night, raising questions about leadership, oversight and accountability in some of the city’s municipal institutions.

In a statement on Wednesday, SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said: “Following an extensive investigation into allegations of procurement irregularities at the Johannesburg Social Housing Company, the SAPS cold case unit and Special Task Force effected an arrest on a charge of money laundering after the CEO was found with a substantial amount of money at his home.

“The team was acting on a J51 search and seizure warrant where the accused’s home and offices were raided. The accused has already appeared before the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court and has been granted R50,000 bail.

“Investigations continue and the possibility of effecting more arrests cannot be ruled out at this stage.”

On Tuesday, the City of Johannesburg said it had not received official confirmation of the arrest from law enforcement authorities. Daily Maverick understands that the Special Investigating Unit was also looking into allegations against Mathibe.

His arrest comes less than two years after his appointment as CEO of the JDA — the municipal entity responsible for inner-city regeneration, transport-oriented development and major capital projects.

Mathibe previously served as chief operating officer at Joshco and was named in a forensic investigation into the city paying nearly R1-million for a security wall at an old-age home that did not exist.

On Tuesday, Joshco said it “could not confirm that any of its staff or executives had been arrested”. The entity acknowledged that law enforcement officials had visited its head office and questioned employees on Monday.

Joshco said it respected the rule of law and the presumption of innocence, and that any action would be guided by formal confirmation through appropriate legal and governance channels.

Shifting heads

Governance concerns around Mathibe’s movement between entities have also come into focus following questions about his secondment from the JDA to Joshco late in 2025.

In a detailed written response to questions that Daily Maverick submitted before Mathibe’s reported arrest, City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said the city rejected claims that Mathibe’s appointment at Joshco conflicted with any previous suspension or investigation.

According to the city, there was no resolution shared with the current Joshco board indicating that Mathibe had been suspended or was under investigation.

Modingoane said the decision to appoint an acting CEO at Joscho was driven by operational necessity after the previous acting period expired, and the entity lacked suitable internal candidates. He said the board agreed to second an experienced executive while finalising a candidate from the national government, and that Mathibe holds no substantive position at Joshco.

The city said both the JDA and Joscho boards approved the secondment, that the boards had the lawful delegations to do so, and that the secondment was time-bound for up to three months from December 2025, pending the arrival of a national government resource.

A round-robin resolution to release Mathibe to act at Joshco on a full-time basis was initiated by the company secretary and supported by a majority of board members, with no written objections recorded, the city said.

Addressing claims that Mathibe had absented himself from his JDA duties, Modingoane said there was no absence without authorisation, that an acting CEO had been appointed at the JDA, and that the city’s accounting officer and corporate services were aware of Mathibe’s responsibilities during the secondment.

He said no dual benefits were paid, and that Mathibe formally notified relevant parties of the arrangements.

The city also disputed suggestions that adverse Auditor-General findings motivated the secondment. The A-G had identified adverse findings at the JDA relating to procurement compliance, contract management, weak internal controls and inadequate consequence management, including instances of irregular expenditure and delayed or incomplete projects.

The city said these findings predated Mathibe’s appointment as CEO and maintained that governance and performance indicators had since improved, with a reduction in the number of material findings. DM

This article was updated on 28 January 2025 to include the comment from SAPS.