By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The suspended chief executive Tshepo Mahanuke of the Johannesburg Roads Agency has been fired for falsifying his qualifications to land the lucrative R3.5 million a year job.
Mahanuke was fired on Wednesday after he was initially suspended in November last year after questions arose about his qualifications,
The agency said the board had resolved to dismiss Mahanuke after he failed to produce counter-evidence in response to the allegations of fraud.
It said an independent investigation had detected the fraud in his CV, which he had submitted during recruitment.
It added that Mahanuke had been given seven days to appeal his dismissal.
He had not done so by Wednesday, and the agency said he had until Friday to respond.
The chairperson of the JRA Board, Charles Cilliers, said: “Given the serious nature and far-reaching ramifications of the matter at hand, coupled with the findings of a rigorous investigation and the failure of Mr Mahanuke to respond to the charges levelled against him, the JRA Board resolved to immediately terminate Mr Mahanuke’s employment with the Johannesburg Roads Agency.”
Cilliers said the agency adhered to the Labour Relations Act – and had considered the legal costs already incurred.
Mahanuke had brought an honorary doctorate from the Trinity International University of Ambassadors and that his Master’s degree in competitive intelligence from ACI College was not actually offered at Harvard.
The JRA at the time said it had vetted Mahanuke and other shortlisted candidates through an unnamed agency.
Mahanuke was appointed in August last year to oversee the City of Gold’s 12 000km road network which is in a state of crisis, riddled with potholes and poor road maintenance.