A 42-year-old man, known as Skhothane MacGyver, has been arrested in Mpumalanga, South Africa, for bribing traffic officers with counterfeit R200 notes. The six-month scheme reportedly cost the province nearly R200 million in lost integrity, fuel, and public confidence, authorities say.
The suspect allegedly printed the fake notes at a shop behind a fish and chips outlet in KwaGuqa. Featuring errors like “Reserf Bank” and a watermark of DJ Tira dancing, the notes were stapled to appear authentic. Driving a worn Toyota Cressida along the N4 and R40, he used these notes to dodge fines, often citing urgent family matters like funerals.
Colonel Mthokozisi Xaba of the SAPS Bribe Squad noted the suspect’s convincing demeanor fooled many officers, some of whom accepted the notes as “vintage.” By 2023, nearly half of Mpumalanga’s traffic officers had collected these fakes, with some attempting to spend them locally.
A rookie officer’s discovery of a note marked “Valid until June 2023” in Comic Sans led to the arrest. MacGyver faces charges of fraud, bribery, and damaging the dignity of legal tender. The National Prosecuting Authority will use real currency in court as evidence.
The Mpumalanga Department of Transport now offers training to spot fake notes, warning that images like Mandoza moonwalking signal fraud. The suspect, defiant, called his notes “street currency” and offered them for bail.
