A businessman from Gauteng has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a R66 million fraud scheme involving Transnet, sparking outrage from labour unions over what they describe as a soft punishment for a serious crime.
Yakub Ahmed Suleman Bhikhu was convicted on 81 charges including fraud, forgery, money laundering, and violating tax laws. He admitted guilt and received a 10-year prison sentence, with five years suspended. In addition to jail time, he was ordered to repay R300,000 to Transnet, and his company was fined R500,000 — a penalty also suspended on condition of good behaviour.
While the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) acknowledged the conviction, it criticized the lenient nature of the sentence, especially given the scale of the fraud and its impact on the public. The union stressed that the punishment does not match the harm caused to workers, the economy, and state-owned entities.
Fedusa said the case highlighted the extent of corruption networks involving both public officials and private companies. Bhikhu’s company, Homix (Pty) Ltd, had been linked to widespread misuse of public funds at Transnet, a central figure in South Africa’s State Capture saga.
According to the union, thousands of workers have paid the price for such corruption through job losses, broken infrastructure, poor services, and stagnant wages. It warned that light sentences only encourage further looting, as they fail to send a clear message of accountability.
Fedusa also raised concerns about public trust in institutions like the National Prosecuting Authority and the judiciary. It argued that the justice system must demonstrate its commitment to protecting public interests and holding those in power accountable.
Despite their disappointment with the sentence, Fedusa reiterated its support for the actions taken by its affiliate, the United National Transport Union (Untu), and called for stronger responses in future cases of corporate crime.