I have taken note of the suspension of two senior executives at the Johannesburg Property Company (“JPC"), Ms Helen Botes (Chief Executive Officer) and Mr Sipho Mzobe (Acting Chief Financial Officer).
I understand that the suspensions emanate from the entity's payment of funds in the region of R27 million to a service provider in September 2022, which the board is of the view “that the payment was made illicitly and breached the company's delegations of authority prescripts" allegedly under the watch of the CEO and Acting CFO.
The JPC board has instructed a forensic investigator to uncover the facts relating to the payment and placed the two executives on suspension so that the investigation may proceed without the risk of it being hampered by the presence of the two executives.
It is important to note that the board's decision to instruct a forensic investigator was made in September but was prevented from being executed by the illegal administration led by the ANC Johannesburg region and its coalition partners.
The issues raised are serious and troubling. In a climate of growing government distrust and rampant corruption across the public and private sector, senior government officials are entrusted with ensuring that rate and taxpayer funds are used correctly and safeguarded from abuse and theft.
Theft and corruption have no place in government. I assure residents that the Multi-Party Government not only considers corruption to be public enemy number one but is deeply committed to meting out harsh consequences to those found to be in the wrong!
In light of the above, I encourage the board to ensure that this matter is concluded expeditiously so that the entity may not be hampered in its ability to deliver on its mandate and, should any wrongdoing be found in the investigation that the relevant role-players are held accountable and consequence management is enforced without undue delay.
To allow the necessary processes to proceed unhindered, and the board to do its work unencumbered, I will not be making any further comments on this matter until further notice.
- ENDS-
For media enquiries, please contact:
Tamlyn Geldenhuis
Media Liaison Specialist
Office of the MMC: Economic Development
081 757 5074
Mmatshepo Oganne
Deputy Director: Communication and Stakeholder Management
Office of the MMC: Economic Development
083 253 3404
01/12/2022
