Joshco CEO Themba Mathibe granted R50,000 bail on charge of money laundering
Police have finally confirmed that Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco) CEO Themba Mathibe was arrested and later released on R50,000 bail after appearing in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on money laundering charges
He appeared in court on Wednesday.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed Mathibe was arrested and had appeared in court.
“Following an extensive investigation into allegations of procurement irregularities at the Johannesburg Social Housing Company, the SAPS cold case unit and Special Task Force effected an arrest on a charge of money laundering after the CEO was found with a substantial amount of money at his home,” she said.
Mathe said the team was acting on a J51 search and seizure warrant where Mathibe’s home and offices were raided.
“The accused has already appeared before the Alexandra Magistrates Court and has been granted R50,000 bail,” Mathe confirmed.
She said investigations continue and the possibility of effecting more arrests cannot be ruled out at this stage.
This comes after reports that Mathibe was arrested on Monday and was allegedly found in possession of a substantial amount of cash.
Hawks officers are said to have visited his home on Tuesday morning, where an undisclosed amount of cash was allegedly discovered.
The arrest reportedly followed a raid by law enforcement authorities at Joshco’s offices as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in certain contracts.
Officers were also said to have conducted operations while Mathibe was at the Sandton police station.
In a statement on Tuesday, Joshco said it was aware of allegations involving Mathibe but declined to confirm or deny reports of his arrest.
“The Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco) is aware of speculation regarding alleged arrests involving its staff members,” spokesperson Nthabiseng Mphela said.
“At this stage, the entity cannot confirm any arrest, nor verify any allegations, as it would be inappropriate to comment on unverified information.”
Mphela confirmed that law enforcement authorities questioned some employees at the organisation’s head office but said Joshco had not received any official communication confirming the arrest of any staff members or executives, including Mathibe.
She added that the entity respected the rule of law and the presumption of innocence.
“Once the allegations, if any, are formally confirmed through the appropriate legal and governance channels, the Joshco board will provide direction on the way forward for the organisation, in line with applicable legislation, governance frameworks and internal policies,” Mphela said.
She said Joshco remained committed to ethical leadership, clean governance, accountability and full co-operation with law enforcement agencies, and reiterated the entity’s zero-tolerance stance on fraud and corruption.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng said it was not surprised by reports of Mathibe’s arrest.
“It is alleged that Mr Mathibe is under police investigation over contract irregularities and corruption, and was caught in possession of large sums of cash amounting to more than a million of rands,” said provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga.
The party said Mathibe’s appointment as CEO in 2024 had been controversial, with allegations that the recruitment process was manipulated to favour his appointment.
The EFF called for Mathibe’s immediate removal pending the conclusion of investigations and demanded a comprehensive forensic probe into all contracts, procurement processes and financial decisions approved during his tenure.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it was deeply concerned by the recent police raid at Joshco, describing it as part of a broader pattern of governance failures.
“This is not an isolated incident. It follows years of warnings about dubious appointments, lack of transparency and a culture of cadre deployment that prioritises political loyalty over competence and accountability,” said DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
She said that in 2024 the DA had exposed what it described as a “cadre deployment web of corruption” at Joshco, where a suspended chief operating officer was moved into another senior role despite concerns of corruption and maladministration, while whistleblowers were allegedly intimidated.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku called on the City of Johannesburg leadership to provide transparency around Mathibe’s appointment, release recruitment and vetting documentation where legally permissible, fully support law enforcement investigations, and recommit to merit-based governance.
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