PRASA: Mthimkhulu's sentence vindication for efforts to root out corruption, fraud

JOHANNESBURG - The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has denied claims its recruitment systems were subject to abuse, following the sentencing of its former head of engineering, Daniel Mthimkhulu.

He was handed a 15-year jail term for fraud and misrepresenting his qualifications when he was employed at the parastatal between 2010 and 2015.

PRASA spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said that Mthimkhulu's sentence should act as a deterrent for other fraudsters.

"This judgment is a vindication of our efforts in rooting out corruption and fraud in the organisation."

While Makanda admitted that the company dropped the ball when Mthimkhulu was appointed, she said that the SOE's response was swift.

"We do have stringent vetting processes but sometimes things do fall between the cracks and sometimes people do move through the system."