The Johannesburg Roads Agency’s suspended chief executive was let go for fabricating his credentials in order to obtain the prestigious R3.5 million per year position.

Tshepo Mahanuke, the CEO of JRA, was sacked on Wednesday after originally being suspended in November of last year due to concerns about his credentials, which included a fictitious Harvard Master’s degree.

After taking office in August of last year, Mahanuke reportedly requested senior JRA workers refer to him as “Doctor.”

According to reports, Mahanuke purchased an honorary doctorate from Trinity International University of Ambassadors, and Harvard did not truly award the competitive intelligence master’s degree he received from ACI College.

In November of last year, he was put on leave.

Mahanuke and the other shortlisted candidates, according to the JRA at the time, were vetted by an undisclosed agency.

At the time, Mpho Phalatse, a former mayor of Johannesburg, commissioned an urgent probe into whether Mahanuke had fabricated his credentials to obtain the lucrative position.

Phumla Majola, the JRA company secretary, verified Mahanuke’s dismissal.

According to Charles Cilliers, the chair of the JRA board, Mahanuke did not offer any opposition to the proof of deception found in his CV that was sent to the JRA during his hiring process.

According to Cilliers, an impartial investigation was carried out.

He claimed that the Labour Relations Act, Schedule 8 of the Code of Good Practise on Dismissal, the pertinent Case Law, and the significant legal expenses already expended at this point all had a role in the decision to terminate Mahanuke’s employment.

Mahanuke has until Friday, according to Cilliers, to file an appeal.

Mahanuke was recruited in August of last year to manage the City of Gold’s 12 000 km of roads, which are in a critical state and in need of bad upkeep.