By Nkosana Khumalo
Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) chief engineer, Daniel Mtimkulu, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. The sentence, handed down on 3 September 2024, comes after Mtimkulu was found guilty of multiple counts of fraud, including falsifying his qualifications and submitting a fake job offer from a German company to secure a substantial salary increase.
Mtimkulu’s fraudulent activities came to light following an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Economic Offences Unit. It was revealed that he had fabricated his academic credentials, including a non-existent Master’s degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Doctorate in Engineering Management from the Technische Universität München (Munich Technical University) in Germany. These fraudulent qualifications allowed him to climb the ranks at PRASA, eventually holding the position of chief engineer, a role for which he was grossly underqualified.
In addition to the falsified qualifications, Mtimkulu also submitted a bogus job offer from a German engineering firm, DB Schenker, to PRASA. This fabricated offer was used to justify a salary increase from R1.6 million to R2.8 million per annum, resulting in significant financial prejudice to PRASA.
The court’s decision to consolidate his various fraud charges into a 15-year sentence underscores the severity of the crimes committed. The judge highlighted the breach of trust involved, particularly in a state-owned enterprise, and the impact on the integrity of the public service.
Moreover, in a related ruling, the court ordered the seizure of over R5.5 million from Mtimkulu’s properties under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, as part of an effort to recoup the losses suffered by PRASA due to his fraudulent actions. The Asset Forfeiture Unit was instrumental in ensuring that the ill-gotten gains were recovered.
The case has been closely watched as one of the significant prosecutions arising from the broader investigations into state capture in South Africa. The Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) hailed the outcome as a clear message that corruption and fraud within state entities will not be tolerated.
Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, head of the Hawks, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “This should serve as a lesson to would-be fraudsters that crime doesn’t pay.”
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