Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) chief executive and acting Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO) CEO Themba Mathibe has walked free after the fraud and corruption case against him was struck off the court roll.
Mathibe appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday facing charges of fraud and corruption linked to alleged procurement irregularities during his time at JOSHCO.
The 29-year-old African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) member was arrested by the Special Task Force in January following an investigation into the alleged irregularities.
During his first court appearance earlier this year, the State requested additional time to finalise its investigation. A key aspect of the probe involved analysing electronic devices seized from Mathibe to gather evidence related to the charges.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was granted five months to complete the process. However, when the matter returned to court on Tuesday, the prosecutor told the court that more time was needed to examine the contents of the devices.
The court ruled that the five-month period provided was sufficient for investigators to gather the necessary evidence and declined to grant a further extension.
As a result, the case was struck off the court roll.
While the decision does not amount to an acquittal, it means the State would need to re-enrol the matter should it obtain sufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution.
For now, Mathibe remains free and continues to lead two of the City of Johannesburg’s key entities, the JDA and JOSHCO.