Selemo Republic Monakedi hopes to use cutting-edge technology to execute his fiduciary duties at the Joburg Roads Agency (JRA), where he’s been appointed Managing Director.
“Technology is time and resource-efficient. It should help us become a high performing organisation,” says Selemo, in light of the new normal brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Entrusted to lead JRA’s team of highly qualified and experienced executives and staff towards attaining the entity’s 2022 strategy and overall business plan, Selemo urges his colleagues to help him execute his mandate by maintaining seamless communication.
“Support and advice from relevant units in the City would assist our agency to perform to its optimum level. I’ve noted a lack of gender representation at top management level, which I hope to address with the help of the board,” he says.
As the JRA’s accounting officer, Selemo plans to strengthen the principles of good governance and sound financial management in the execution of his duties. He says he’s charged with providing administrative leadership to management and staff in supporting the board to meet shareholder expectations.
Selemo was born and bred in Sekhukhune, Limpopo Province. When he’s not paving Joburg’s roads, he enjoys engaging his peers in “conversations on current affairs”.
The married father of five started working in the City on Monday, 7 September 2020 and has already sunk his teeth into the Executive Mayor’s “War on Potholes” initiative. He hopes to improve the turnaround time for repairing structural defects on all municipal roads that need attention. Selemo also hopes to ensure, in the short term, that operations at the JRA’s Asphalt Plant are restored to minimise downtime.
“Our organisational design and culture need to be geared to swift changes induced by the external environment. This should help to mitigate negative impacts and ensure continued provision of certain levels of basic services.”
Boasting over 20 years’ experience in the public sector, 16 of which were in senior management, Selemo’s qualifications include a BA degree from the University of the North (now Limpopo), an Honours degree in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape and a Master’s of Science in Development Planning from Wits University. He worked as a Municipal Manager at three local and district municipalities. “I also served and still do on the boards of different state-owned entities,” he says.
He encourages his colleagues who have aspirations of working within management to focus on more than just discharging their duties. “Use positions as platforms for unending learning and enhancement of skills and knowledge,” Selemo says.
He says he’s passionate about making a difference in the lives of communities by delivering quality services.
