Suspended Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) CEO Kedibone Madiehe is set to face a formal disciplinary hearing as the National Treasury investigates financial misconduct linked to a controversial office lease.
Madiehe was placed on precautionary suspension by Enoch Godongwana, the Minister of Finance, last August after the GPAA entered into a controversial R1-billion lease agreement for the Brooklyn Bridge office building in Pretoria.
The lease runs for nine years and 11 months and includes office space and parking facilities.
Her suspension followed mounting pressure over uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the building.
While the lease was signed with Shula Developers, property group Attacq also claimed ownership of the building and indicated it had no intention of selling or leasing the property.
Before her suspension, Madiehe had threatened legal action against Shula Developers should delays persist in resolving the ownership dispute.
She was, however, suspended before the matter could be pursued further.
Madiehe has also faced allegations that the agency effectively leased a ghost building and spent R270-million on refurbishments.
She has disputed these claims, stating that the agency paid only R36.5-million in contractual prepayments to Shula Developers and R26-million to Dikeamo Architects.
Ensuring full accountability
Godongwana’s spokesperson, Mfuneko Toyana, confirmed that Madiehe’s disciplinary hearing is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 2.
He said the decision to proceed follows the completion of investigations by three independent firms into allegations of governance failures and financial misconduct.
Toyana said the findings of investigations had been shared with Madiehe and would form the basis of the charges she faces.
“The disciplinary action was implemented in accordance with the president’s Minute No 191 of 2025 and the applicable Disciplinary Code for Senior Management Services, which delegates authority to the minister of finance to institute disciplinary processes concerning these allegations,” said Toyana.
He said the process would be conducted in line with internal procedures and South African labour law.
“To safeguard the legal integrity of the hearings and to ensure that the rights of the suspended CEO are not unduly prejudiced, the specific terms of reference or the full investigative reports will not be published at this stage.
“The ministry and the GPAA leadership remain committed to transparency and the restoration of ethical governance.
“The primary focus of this process is to ensure full accountability and to restore confidence in the governance of the agency,” said Toyana.
