In his element: Acting CEO Thanduxolo Mendrew

JUST over a month ago, Thanduxolo Mendrew stepped into a new pair of shoes: as acting chief executive officer of the Johannesburg Development Agency he now heads up a company which has made name for itself both locally and abroad.

Before leading the agency, Mendrew was its executive manager for risk and compliance management and human resources, a position he held since 2007. His contract as acting CEO will run for one year and expires at the end of September 2011, as the JDA board has opted not to appoint a permanent new CEO prior to the 2011 municipal elections.

Caretaker steward

Mendrew agrees that he is taking over at a time when the agency is on solid footing, with a dedicated, young team and a company running like clockwork.

"This is a very good corporation. I want to build on what is here, retaining the committed unit of employees and particularly retaining the respect the agency has built within the city."

Relaxed and soft spoken, Mendrew has an air of quiet confidence and a down-to-earth manner. With little time in which to make an impact in the position, Mendrew sees his role rather as a consolidator and caretaker steward.

"The focus this year is to maintain the reputation with our stakeholders and to further strengthen these relationships."

Legal background

His LLB degree from Wits University and first job with legal firm Edward, Nathan & Friedland in Sandton has prepared Mendrew for the complexities of risk and legal compliance in the corporate world, two rather dense disciplines which he clearly relishes.

The JDA offices in Newtown

Mendrew started his career at the law firm as a commercial lawyer specialising in corporate law. He recalls his biggest project - assisting in the corporatisation of the state giant Eskom. It was, he admits, the acid test in the application of due diligence in practice. Later, he was involved in the corporatisation and disposal of assets of Safcol, the South African Forestry Corporation.

Finding his feet firmly in the risk management field, he extended his scope to commercial banking at the same firm, where he gained experience in the legal compliance side of corporate finance and debt management. In 2004, he joined the City of Johannesburg as director of corporate governance, where he oversaw the group risk compliance and financial stability of the City's municipal-owned entities, and helped develop mitigating strategies in the event of fiscal problems with some of these entities.

Yes we can

His move to the JDA in 2007 introduced him to a small, energetic agency with a "yes we can" team philosophy, he says.

The JDA's biggest, ongoing project is the Rea Vaya network

With his niche areas being in compliance and corporate finance, a large part of his focus now will be on bringing in alternative revenue streams to the agency. The funding received from the City only covers 45 percent of the operational costs of the JDA, and to keep it sustainable in the long run, other avenues of funding will have to be explored, especially in the post-World Cup era, he believes.

"We want to use the [knowledge and skills] capacity which we [the JDA] have built up for 2010 and the BRT projects, for skills transfer projects which can generate additional revenue."

This includes a proposal to outsource JDA expertise to other municipalities to assist with their development projects. To this end, the JDA will approach the Development Bank of Southern Africa as preferred service provider in such upcoming development projects.

The agency will continue with its core competency though, which is to stimulate sustainable development initiatives throughout the city, he confirms.

BRT and inner city

This year, it will continue implementing the major projects still under way, which include the Bus Rapid Transit system's Phase IB and various inner city projects. It will also continue the projects extended to peripheral areas, especially the previously marginalised areas, with Diepsloot, Soweto and Orange Farm all receiving additional upgrades this year, Mendrew adds.

"The focus is on transport orientated development, with stations and the public environment around these areas serving as a catalyst for further regional development." Completed projects include the Transport Square and station development near Ellis Park and the Westgate Station precinct in the inner city, to name a few.

Likewise, further upgrades to Stretford Station in Orange Farm, the new Orlando Station precinct in Soweto and the upgrade to Diepsloot's major arterial road will turn these areas into proper transport nodes.

The Kliptown development is another case in point. Not always considered to be a successful JDA development because of what some critics call its white elephant status, Mendrew says people are quick to forget that the JDA was instrumental in connecting this important site with the rest of Soweto when it built the K51 arterial as part of the initial development.

Before this road was built, commuters had to travel via the congested outer suburbs and the area was inaccessible to tourists. Further money will be ploughed into the project this year, including a pedestrian bridge over the railway line to connect Kliptown east and west.

An unflappable realist, Mendrew says one should remember that Kliptown is a big urban development framework where various sectors like housing and infrastructure all have to collaborate, sectors which are not JDA core competencies. From the original Kliptown development initiated in 2002, not all of the intended plans could be completed successfully, resulting in what appears to be an ineffective and disjointed development.

Slowly but surely, he promises, however, even this area will be established as a key precinct.

Mendrew grew up in Barkley East in Eastern Cape and is married with two children. His heart remains in his home province, and particularly on its beautiful beaches, where he prefers to spend his holidays. If he is not pouring over his favourite read, the Mail & Guardian, you will find him debating the various theories around global warming, a topic he finds "fascinating".

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