Lottery bosses turned to State Stability Company to investigate leaks

Lottery bosses turned to State Stability Company to investigate leaks

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Former National Lotteries Commission (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda questioned the Condition Security Company (SSA) in December 2018 to investigate the leaking of files that exposed lottery corruption.
The NLC’s company secretary at time listed media studies she said have been depending on “stolen” facts within an affidavit for the SSA.
The SSA did investigate. It identified the knowledge was not a issue of condition safety and the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “ample motive” for your media to expose it.
A brand new board and management has because taken over the NLC and thus far have taken steps to end corruption at the establishment.
A State Protection Agency (SSA) investigation uncovered the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “supplied sufficient motive” for publicity with the media.

The probe into meant “details stability breaches and sabotage of NLC operations” was undertaken immediately after then-NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda wrote towards the SSA in December 2018 requesting it to research.

Here is

Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by at this time suspended NLC company secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the request, and
the security company’s “private” conclusions and proposals.
Nevhutanda questioned the SSA to analyze the purpose of NLC team during the alleged leaking of data, and Nene, in her affidavit determined distinct media and studies that she claimed involved these leaks.

In the letter outlining its conclusions, the SSA advised the NLC that whilst protecting condition details was “a lawful essential aimed at safeguarding the sovereignty and integrity of the condition” this only placed on correctly classified data.

Even though it didn't say so straight, the SSA results implied the allegedly leaked facts didn't tumble into this classification.

Considerably, the SSA created it obvious that the need to defend condition data “will not stop any personal from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or illegal activity”.

The SSA investigation located the NLC information and facts involved with the alleged breach was “sensitive and privileged in nature, although not classified when it comes to the prescripts on the Minimal Data Protection Criteria (Overlook)”.

“The leakage of your applicable sensitive Formal NLC facts for the media does not pose a risk to nationwide safety,” the SSA reported, adding which the impression on the breaches was reputational.

The SSA report observed “no proof of the factual and incriminating character versus any of the suspected NLC workers which could be discovered from the data and details interrogated”.

In addition, it stated that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities throughout the NLC and at its beneficiaries does deliver sufficient motive to possess this kind of uncovered while in the media”.

Conspiracy claims
In 2020, Nevhutanda instructed MPs for the duration of a session of Parliament’s trade, market and Competitors portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” where details “stolen” with the NLC was sent for the US, where by he claimed it absolutely was becoming offered to fund a smear campaign from the NLC.

He was repeating identical promises he experienced Beforehand built in Parliament, which included advert hominem assaults on GroundUp and this reporter but was mindful not to name possibly.

“I came right here On this August residence last calendar year and described to honourable associates that specifics of our beneficiaries has long been stolen and place in a single state in the united states,” he informed MPs.

“We termed within the Point out Security Agency to come back look into the issue because we're receiving stories that our information is producing funds for media platforms and journalists,” he explained. “There was converse, certainly from one resource, just one media, that spoke A great deal about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda claimed (referring to GroundUp), but did not inform MPs which the SSA investigation were finished Nearly a calendar year earlier.

Proactive funding was at the guts on the looting of the lottery. It aspect-stepped the traditional grant approach. The NLC could alone recognize a challenge to fund and appoint a non-earnings organisation to supervise it.

After Nevhutanda very first instructed Parliament in 2018 that he experienced questioned the SSA to analyze the meant breach, the South African National Editors Discussion board issued a press release stating that his remarks reflected “an incredibly harmful Frame of mind where by the media is being blamed for your NLC’s inherent troubles”.

“Rather then investigating why millions can not be accounted for, the NLC has instead made an effort to Forged doubt within the integrity in the journalists involved and it has requested the SSA to investigate their resources.”

Proactive assignments created magic formula
Stability flaws recognized in the NLC grant funding process in the course of the SSA’s investigation, seem to are actually employed being an justification through the NLC to get rid of all proactive-funded projects from its central grants program.

“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all Professional-actively funding jobs was heightened to ‘magic formula’ and assignments ended up faraway from the grant funding process and managed manually underneath the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Information Place of work, Executive Supervisor Lawful so as to safeguard [the] information and facts,” Nene claimed in her affidavit.

“There was many inside discussion, with many forwards and backwards, about what to do to plug the alleged leaks”, a resource, who was within a senior position within the NLC at time, explained to GroundUp. “Ultimately, the choice was taken to remove the many proactive assignments from your system and limit entry to a handful of men and women”.

Some in that handful of people had been implicated in corruption.

Maselwa, who resigned through the NLC many decades back, has been implicated in corruption involving lottery cash. He acquired R4.3-million from lottery resources allotted to construct a library and museum complicated in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural Tunes and Arts Expo) which he applied to build a home within an upmarket gated progress in Pretoria. The house is among several paid out for with lottery money which were frozen following the Asset Forfeiture Device obtained a preservation order in December 2022.

The politically-connected Nevhutanda, who was appointed as being the NLC board chairperson by previous President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near to superior-ups within the ANC leadership, previous NLC previous Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-chief operating officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated while in the corruption which overcome the NLC on their own watch.

Also implicated are previous board members William Huma, who resigned immediately after he was confronted with evidence of how he had profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who may have because died.

Each time a new administration, including the full board and government, took over for the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they identified a “chaotic mess” while in the documentation regarding proactive funding, Significantly of which was paper-centered. Crucial paperwork ended up lacking. Documents held for safekeeping by doc storage corporation Metrofile were signed out and hardly ever returned.

The NLC was in a position to recover copies of some ผล สลากกินแบ่ง documents from its Mimecast e-mail archiving technique as well as laptops in their assistants and aid staff.

Information reports
In his one December 2018 letter, dealt with to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has observed with grave worry attainable data safety breaches as well as the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of private facts acquired as a result of accomplishing official capabilities inside the Fee by NLC personnel. The activities are intended to undermine the integrity of your Commission when disrupting the efficient features [with the NLC] and creating insurmountable reputational damage on the Fee given that the custodian of personal info entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”

His request for your SSA to investigate was supported in an affidavit by suspended NLC company secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.

Nene is presently dealing with a disciplinary inquiry following she was unsuccessful in legal motion to set aside findings of irregular expenditure on her check out.

The objective of her affidavit, Nene explained, was “to record the situations which transpired regarding details stability breaches with the Countrywide Lotteries Commission”.

She mentioned different information reports which she claimed ended up the results of these “breaches” (see at the end of this article).

Nene mentioned that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that considered one of its employees, Sello Qhino, had “supplied her categorized NLC Details and persistently encouraged her to provide the information to GroundUp”.

Qhino, who blew the whistle with a number of dodgy lottery-funded initiatives in Kuruman immediately after makes an attempt to raise The difficulty internally ended up overlooked, was subsequently fired.

Referring to an 18 November 2018 posting from the Everyday Dispatch regarding the misappropriation of Lottery resources, Nene mentioned which the NLC recognized after which you can suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an worker during the NLC’s East London Place of work, who was the husband or wife and also the mother of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s 3 little ones.

Rungqu and Makatse believe Rungqu was punished since Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and charged internally, Together with the NLC paying out R470,000 on legal professionals to characterize it, but was observed not guilty and allowed to return to operate.

“The prevalent Consider these articles or blog posts is [they include] categorised data referring to proactive funding projects,” Nene claimed in her affidavit.

When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out in the family property to go ahead and take heat off her and his little ones. Facing homelessness, he moved into an Office environment within an vacant manufacturing unit belonging to a pal.

Equally Makatse and Qhino are taking part in an NLC reparation course of action meant to recognise the hurt some people suffered at the arms of your NLC. Apologies and, occasionally, economical payment are anticipated.

“Some folks have been truly afflicted incredibly negatively by this … This is absolutely painful,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz explained to the Day-to-day Maverick final 12 months.

“I met a handful of these folks. It absolutely was just so coronary heart-wrenching that their entire lives are actually turned upside down,” explained Scholtz.

Among the These she satisfied ended up Qhino and Makatse.

Harmless System needed for whistleblowers
The SSA discovered the absence at time of a correct channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to turn to the media.

“Failure to possess a focused anti-corruption channel will end in personnel presenting these kinds of situations outside of the NLC,” the SSA reported in its results.

“Offered the magnitude of corruption in point out institutions, it continues to be critical that it ensures that the NLC complies with all protection prescripts Which its target is on making sure that illegal and irregular carry out is sufficiently mitigated versus and by making certain an enough channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward conduct without having staying intimidated.”

It recommended that the NLC set up a “Risk-free channel” for employees to supply information on any “untoward activity” that will not avoid or discourage personnel from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers coverage, depending on the Safeguarded Disclosures Act 25 of 2000, is usually a necessity.”

Media experiences Nene detailed
A ten December 2017 report within the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Wellbeing and Health and fitness Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has worked carefully with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and proprietor with the Limpopo Mirror, to show NLC corruption. “The article had components of information not obtainable in the public domain, thereby boosting issue on interior Information and facts protection breaches. The allegations from the media ended up independently investigated,” Nene explained. “Even so, staff liable for divulging classified facts have but to be determined”;
A 28 January 2018 post posted with the Dally Dispatch “citing numerous allegations through the Limpopo Mirror article revealed on ten December 2017 and a new allegation associated with a previous personnel by the name of Mzukisi Makatse. He was charged and summarily dismissed for your risk induced to your organisation.”
A sixteen November 2018 report from the Lowvelder with regard to the misappropriation of NLC resources involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has described how, Regardless of getting R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab has never been done. “The Lowvelder short article contained categorized information concerning NLC plan, increasing additional problems of interior facts stability breaches,” Nene stated in her affidavit. “The prima facie evidence with regard to these allegations did not warrant an independent Investigation, even so [it] highlighted the heightened facts protection challenges in the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose about a dodgy R27.five-million grant to Denzhe Major Care, a hijacked NPO. Nene claimed GroundUp had confirmed in its Tale that it was determined by leaked NLC documents. This was despite the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Marketing of Use of Data) ask for for particulars regarding the undertaking, she mentioned

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