Get All Access for $5/mo

A Top 'Engineer' Faked His Degrees and Only Had a High-School Education. He Got Away With It For Years. During his 15-year tenure at the rail agency, he oversaw a deal worth over $100 million to purchase dozens of trains, but they were too tall for South Africa's rail network and couldn't be used.

By Joshua Nelken-Zitser

Key Takeaways

  • A South African rail agency's chief engineer claimed to have a master's degree and a doctorate.
  • In reality, he only had a high-school education. He got away with the lie for years.
  • On Tuesday, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay back some of his salary.

This article was originally published on Business Insider.

The chief engineer of South Africa's state-run passenger rail agency falsely claimed to have a master's degree and a doctorate in engineering, earning him a handsome salary of about $160,000 a year.

In reality, he hadn't attended university at all.

Daniel Mthimkhulu, 49, got away with the deception for years but is now expected to spend a decade and a half behind bars.

On Tuesday, a court in Johannesburg sentenced Mthimkhulu to 15 years in prison. He had been charged with nine counts, including fraud and forgery.

Mthimkhulu was the head of engineering at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.

He was arrested in July 2015, having worked at the rail agency for 15 years, including five years heading up its engineering department.

He got the top engineering job by lying on his résumé, claiming to have a master's degree from Johannesburg's Witwatersrand University and a doctorate from a German university.

However, the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court found that Mthimkhulu had only a high-school education.

During his tenure at the rail agency, he oversaw a deal worth over $100 million to purchase dozens of trains from Spain.

The trains were later discovered to be too tall for South Africa's rail network and couldn't be used.

Spanish authorities subsequently launched an investigation into possible corruption linked to the deal.

In 2019, Mthimkhulu admitted during an interview that he did not have a Ph.D. and had "failed to correct the perception" that he held a doctorate.

The court in Johannesburg also heard that Mthimkhulu had forged a job-offer letter from a German company and used it to negotiate a salary increase at the rail agency, BBC News said.

In addition to the prison sentence, Mthimkhulu was ordered to repay the company the equivalent of about $326,000.

The head of South Africa's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Seswantsho Godfrey Lebeya, said in a statement: "This should serve as a lesson to would be fraudsters that crime doesn't pay."

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Science & Technology

Why Businesses Are Relying on Automation to Survive the Labor Crisis

Robots are revolutionizing industries by addressing labor shortages and enhancing efficiency, while businesses navigate challenges like workforce adaptation and high implementation costs.

Green Entrepreneur®

How Global Business Leaders Can Build a Sustainable Supply Chain

Businesses can build sustainable supply chains by leveraging technology to reduce environmental impact, optimize resources and track emissions while balancing operational efficiency and sustainability goals.

Productivity

6 Habits That Help Successful People Maximize Their Time

There aren't enough hours in the day, but these tips will make them feel slightly more productive.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Leadership

Visionaries or Vague Promises? Why Companies Fail Without Leaders Who See Beyond the Bottom Line

Visionary leaders turn bold ideas into lasting impact by building resilience, clarity and future-ready teams.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.