Questions have been raised around the appointment of the new CEO of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA). The appointment of Republic Monakedi two weeks ago has led to both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) pointing to allegations of corruption around him.
Monakedi previously worked at the Greater Tzaneen and Mopani municipalities in Limpopo where he faced allegations of mismanagement and corruption.
BusinessLive notes that the JRA is ‘a critical entity for service delivery in Johannesburg, the country’s economic hub, and is responsible for dealing with the city’s road infrastructure, including fixing potholes’. It has suffered from managerial instability, and since 2017 nobody has served as the CEO of the body for more than a short time.
According to BusinessLive the DA in Johannesburg said that Monakedi’s stint in Limpopo had been ‘less than stellar’ while the EFF said it ‘strongly condemns’ the appointment.
The JRA however said it was happy with Monakedi’s appointment. All candidates had been vetted for the position and the JRA said that Monakedi had scored the highest of all candidates during the interview process.