The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has welcomed the recent yet lenient sentencing of Gauteng-based businessman, Yakub Ahmed Suleman Bhikhu. 

Bhikhu was found guilty on 81 counts of fraud, forgery, uttering, money laundering, and the Contravention of the Tax Administration Act in the Pretoria Regional Court. 

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, Bhikhu pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years’ direct imprisonment, of which five years were suspended for five years.

IOL reported that the convicted businessman was further ordered to reimburse R300,000 to Transnet, which he received as gratification.

In addition, his company was sentenced to a fine of R500,000, which was suspended on the condition that no similar offence is committed.

The union, on Wednesday, said despite the light sentence imposed on the businessman, it fully supports and endorses the position taken by its affiliate, the United National Transport Union (Untu).

“Like Untu, Fedusa is deeply concerned that the effective five-year sentence, following a conviction in one of South Africa’s most egregious State Capture-related scandals, does not reflect the gravity of the crime nor the long-term damage inflicted on workers, the economy, and the integrity of public institutions,” said Fedusa.

The union added that Bhikhu’s conviction for his involvement in facilitating corruption through his company, Homix (Pty) Ltd, at Transnet is a sobering reminder of the vast network of enablers, insiders, and private beneficiaries who exploited the parastatal for personal gain. This is in spite of the union’s reservation about the severity of the sentence.

“Fedusa believes the sentence handed down fails to deliver justice to the thousands of workers who continue to endure the consequences of this corruption, including job losses, infrastructure collapse, stagnant wages, and declining service delivery. This leniency sends the wrong message. It emboldens those who loot the state to believe they can walk away with light penalties while the public pays the price,” the union stated.

With South Africans bear the brunt of corruption in the private and public sectors as well as other sections of society, Fedusa believes a stronger sentence would have sent a better message to other corrupt businesspeople.

“The sentence undermines confidence in our democratic institutions, particularly the National Prosecuting Authority and the judiciary, whose mandate is to protect the public interest and ensure accountability at all levels of society,” it said.

According to IOL, Bhikhu was last week jailed for an effective five years in connection with R66 million Transnet fraud, after he and his company, Homix (Pty) Ltd, were convicted on 81 counts that include fraud, forgery, uttering, money laundering, and the Contravention of the Tax Administration Act in the Pretoria Regional Court.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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