Johannesburg’s top officials were grilled in Parliament over their handling of the arrest of Johannesburg Development Agency CEO Themba Mathibe, who was found with R321,000 in cash but remains employed in his role. (Photo: Naledi Mashishi) Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, Deputy Mayor Loyiso Masuku and City Manager Floyd Brink faced a bruising interrogation in Parliament on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, as the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) scrutinised the City’s handling of the arrest of Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) chief executive officer Themba Mathibe.
The exchange, led by Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi, focused not on the merits of the criminal case itself, but on what the City did – or failed to do – once one of its most senior municipal executives was arrested after R321,000 in cash was discovered at his home during a January search-and-seizure operation linked to an ongoing corruption investigation.
Mathibe was arrested by the Special Task Force in January this year and granted R50,000 bail. The matter was later struck off the roll by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court pending the completion of investigations. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has indicated it intends to re-enrol the case once outstanding processes are finalised.
Despite the arrest, Mathibe remains in his substantive role as chief executive officer of the Johannesburg Development Agency.
‘Have you asked him?’
At the Scopa hearing, Zibi repeatedly pressed the three executives on a central question: Why did City leadership not establish the source of the cash once the arrest became public?
“The man was arrested. We know he was granted R50,000 bail. Upon establishing that he was arrested, what conversation did you have with the [JDA] board?” Zibi asked.
The deputy mayor responded that the mayoral committee had resolved that the matter was “outside his [the CEO’s] duties” and would be handled by law enforcement.
/file/attachments/orphans/ED_596360_572912.jpg "Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi grilled Johannesburg leaders on their actions following the arrest of Themba Mathibe. (Photo: Gallo Images / Jeffrey Abrahams)")
The City, she said, had initially relied on media reports and subsequently requested confirmation through formal governance channels. The committee had also discussed introducing a policy to address similar situations going forward.
Zibi was unsparing.
“It appears the mayoral committee was trying to bury the matter. You don’t know how he came across the money. You didn’t try to find out.”
He continued: “The money was found in his house, he was arrested and released on bail – it was not just media reports. A City employee had cash and you were just not interested? Have you asked him? Have you done anything to find out?”
City Manager Floyd Brink said the Department of Group Governance had sent formal correspondence to the relevant board requesting confirmation of the arrest and a report outlining the allegations.
Zibi interrupted: “Speak English. What does that mean? What did you ask the board? Did you meet with them?”
Brink confirmed that written confirmation and a report were requested, but said no direct engagement had taken place at that stage.
/file/attachments/orphans/6I1A3291_736828.jpg "City of Joburg city manager Floyd Brink faced tough questions in Parliament on Tuesday. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)")
“Neither the mayor nor the deputy mayor nor the city manager nor the board bothered to ask where this gentleman got the money. That much we know,” Zibi said.
When questioned about lifestyle audits, Brink said that a broader reform process, including lifestyle audit mechanisms, had been initiated just three weeks ago to close governance gaps when allegations surfaced publicly before formal law-enforcement communication was received.
Zibi returned to the central issue.
“Do you know for certain that the money was not the proceeds of unlawful dealings within the duties of the municipality? Can you say that for certain?”
The executive conceded they could not.
“No one was interested. No one asked if he had a cash business he was operating. This looks like a cover-up. Don’t look. Don’t see. No steps whatsoever were taken. This was national news and the whole City is not bothered or interested,” he said.
Why the case was struck off
The Alexandra Magistrate’s Court struck the matter off the roll after the State requested additional time to finalise outstanding forensic processes, including the downloading and analysis of electronic devices seized during the investigation.
The defence opposed the request, arguing there was no basis for the matter to remain on the roll while investigations were incomplete.
According to the NPA, no formal enquiry was held under section 342A of the Criminal Procedure Act, which governs how courts assess delays in criminal proceedings. After considering submissions, the court found there was no reason to keep the matter on the roll pending completion of investigations, and struck it off.
The NPA has since stated that striking a matter off the roll does not constitute an acquittal and does not preclude re-enrolment once investigations are finalised. It has indicated it is engaging with the SAPS to expedite outstanding processes.
Last week, the JDA told Daily Maverick it was aware of the legal proceedings involving its chief executive, but maintained that there had been no formal finding against him and no basis to alter its leadership arrangements.
The agency emphasised that the matter was being handled by law-enforcement authorities and that it would respect the presumption of innocence while governance processes were allowed to run their course. It said operations continued uninterrupted and that the board was engaging through the appropriate oversight channels.
Daily Maverick has sent further questions to the NPA regarding the magistrate’s reasoning, the status of outstanding investigations and the anticipated timeline for re-enrolment, and is awaiting a response. DM