Accused Joburg officials back at work despite pending charges

The Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) has admitted that two senior managers, one from the JPC’s auditing committee and another in charge of procurement, had returned to their offices before their pending disciplinary hearings have been concluded.

The senior executives have been back at work, despite being implicated in allegations of a Covid-19 spending spree at the state company, following a report and investigation by Kunene, Ramapala Inc, which also implicated several others.

The returnees were among three officials who were suspended in August last year by former acting chief executive (CEO) officer of the JPC Eldred Mtaner, after being implicated in a number of dodgy multi-million rand cleaning and sanitation contracts.

The pair’s suspensions came soon after that of chief financial officer Imraan Bhamjee and chief executive Helen Botes. A third worker who was also suspended has since died. Allegations against the group arose after the board appointed investigators to look into corruption allegations presented by JPC employees.

Investigation into accused has been completed

According to current acting JPC CEO Ruby Mathang, the two employees returned to work this month, after the conclusion of an internal investigation process, but they had yet to face a disciplinary hearing.

“In terms of JPC’s disciplinary procedure, employees can be placed on precautionary suspension, which means the employee is simply removed from the workplace as an interim measure to prevent possible interference in internal investigations. It is important to investigate matters brought to the attention of the employer,” she said.

Upon the conclusion of its own internal investigation, JPC decided that the information gathered was complete and there could be no interference with the process. “The disciplinary procedure shall continue and remains scheduled for later this month.”

Botes and Bhamjee were placed on special leave following a whistleblower report which was presented to the board showing evidence the company had given out four Covid-19 building cleaning contracts to companies without following due process, and allegedly at exorbitant prices.

Sources have also alerted The Citizen to sweeping changes at the company since a new board was elected in February.

According to one source in the company, who was one of several who complained of being intimidated for speaking out, the two senior managers returned back to the office soon after Mathang’s appointment.

“They were all suspended and given charge sheets. Within two weeks of (Mathang) coming in, he brushed the Kunene report aside and brought them back. The disciplinary process hasn’t happened, it’s like nothing happened,” said a source.

Also Read: Johannesburg Property Company bigshots suspended amid corruption controversy

Botes and Bhamjee not coming back

The acting CEO has denied any talk among senior officials of Botes and Bhamjee’s reinstatement, expressing distaste at the suggestion.

“The issue of the two reinstatements has not been raised at any formal board engagement and therefore the allegations are not within the knowledge of the board. At this stage the matter is still sub judice. It would be very undesirable to discuss the matter here and prejudice the employer or the employee’s case.”

Power battles

The suspensions last year coincided with apparent political power battles surrounding the company, culminating in the Patriotic Alliance (PA), estranged coalition partners in the ANC-led Johannesburg administration trying to interdict the ANC’s plan to untether the PA from the Government of Local Unity (GLU).

PA leader Gayton McKenzie has been accused of using the coalition to wield power in the JPC.  ANC-affiliated union Samwu supported the ANC’s move to oust the PA from the Johannesburg administration, citing ideological and ethical differences.

Also Read: Workers storm a Johannesburg property company meeting to demand change

Democratic Alliance caucus leader Leah Knott complained that the party has long tried to get the Johannesburg administration to account for the growing allegations of illegal activity at the property company. According to Knott, mismanagement has left the company virtually inoperable at the moment.

“None of the regional managers are working and you can’t get a hold of them at all for the last year. I think their response is completely insufficient,” said Knott.

“The mayor thwarts all our attempts to get JPC to account to council as he has stated in the past that they are entities and report to their boards, but I have received a lot of complaints from disgruntled employees about the lack of actual consequence management, especially with regard to sexual harassment cases.”

While the City of Johannesburg has not given a formal response, it was understood that the city was not aware of the implicated employees’ return to JPC.

Mayor Geoff Makhubo’s office had yet respond to The Citizen‘s questions.

WATCH: Kwa Mai Mai traders question JPC’s claims of market renovations

A tale of two buildings

The source also alleged that the company was still renting an entire office building it didn’t need after moving from its original head office in the Braampark office park.

For over a year, the company has been renting two buildings in Braampark, Forum 1 and Forum 2, with the latter being their main work space. The second building was allegedly under-used and virtually empty until late August last year, when the company moved all of its departments to Forum 1, leaving Forum 2 empty while still paying rent of R1.6 million a month to this day.

Mathang denied that the first building was underutilised but admitted that it was not fully occupied.

“While the allegations exist that it is underutilised, the staff of JPC continue to work on rotation as per the City of Johannesburg’s directive, and therefore capacity of 100% would not be reached. This is consistent with most of the country’s workplaces,” he said.

Simnikiweh@citizen.co.za 

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