Johannesburg - The former CEO of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Tshepo Mahanuke, insists that he did not fake his qualifications to get the top job.
JRA fired Mahanuke last month after uncovering some discrepancies in his academic qualifications. The JRA alleged that Mahanuke claimed to have a Master’s degree from Harvard University in the United States of America (USA).
The board of the JRA also questioned his honorary doctorate from an international university.
Several investigations were conducted into the matter, including a court process that was still under way.
In an interview with The Star, Mahanuke insisted that his qualifications were real and that there was a witch-hunt out to get him. He said there was some confusion that was intentionally created about a course he did called Master Competitive Intelligence.
“What they are leaning on is that I claimed to have a Master’s in Intelligence from Harvard. My CV does not say that I have Master Competitive Intelligence; they decided to call it masters to fit a certain narrative,” Mahanuke said.
Mahanuke said he had his undergraduate degree from the Vaal University of Technology and that he had done some courses with various institutions, such as the University of Pretoria.
“I have a degree in operations management; that was the requirement of the post; there was no mention of Honours or Master’s. I qualified for the post,” he said.
According to Mahanuke, he was fired from work because he had been asking too many questions and because he had offended some influential people at the JRA.
“I was asking too many questions, and that is why I am being punished; for instance, I asked why the JDA is building bridges when it’s supposed to be the JRA that builds bridges. There are many things I picked up that were not right,” he said.
Mahanuke said he was still fighting for reinstatement in court but also said the matter had stretched him financially and emotionally. He said the allegations were also ruining his image.
“My family has taken strain from this. I am a father, a husband, and someone’s son. I cannot even go to get groceries without being escorted,” Mahanuke said.
Mahanuke said he believed that he had become accomplished at a young age, having been a CEO at another company before coming to the JRA. He is currently 34 years old.
“I keep hearing people say that I am too young to handle a big budget, but I do believe so,” he said.
Mahanuke also defended an honorary degree that he had gotten from an American university in 2019 for what he achieved in business and entrepreneurship.
According to the JRA, Mahanuke agreed to a qualification audit at the company for all employees, including himself. The municipal entity said Mahanuke was shocked when he discovered that the qualifications audit would include himself.
The municipal entity said firing Mahanuke was the last resort since he was evading justice and was unco-operative in procedures meant to uncover the truth behind his appointment and competence.
The Star