Previous National Lotteries Fee (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda asked the State Safety Agency (SSA) in December 2018 to research the leaking of paperwork that exposed lottery corruption.
The NLC’s enterprise secretary at the time outlined media reviews she mentioned have been based upon “stolen” information and facts within an affidavit for your SSA.
The SSA did investigate. It uncovered the knowledge wasn't a make any difference of condition stability and the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “enough motive” to the media to show it.
A different board and management has considering the fact that taken above the NLC and Up to now have taken measures to end corruption for the establishment.
A Point out Security Agency (SSA) investigation identified the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “delivered enough motive” for publicity via the media.
The probe into meant “information stability breaches and sabotage of NLC functions” was undertaken soon after then-NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda wrote on the SSA in December 2018 requesting it to research.
Here is
Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by currently suspended NLC enterprise secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the request, and
the safety agency’s “private” results and recommendations.
Nevhutanda requested the SSA to investigate the purpose of NLC personnel inside the alleged leaking of data, and Nene, in her affidavit determined particular media and experiences that she claimed concerned these leaks.
In the letter outlining its results, the SSA explained to the NLC that although protecting state facts was “a lawful essential targeted at protecting the sovereignty and integrity in the condition” this only applied to properly categorized facts.
Even though it did not say so right, the SSA conclusions implied that the allegedly leaked details did not drop into this category.
Noticeably, the SSA made it distinct that the need to defend state information and facts “does not prevent any unique from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or illegal activity”.
The SSA investigation located that the NLC data associated with the alleged breach was “sensitive and privileged in character, but not categorised regarding the prescripts of the Minimum amount Info Safety Expectations (Miss out on)”.
“The leakage on the suitable sensitive official NLC info into the media isn't going to pose a danger to countrywide stability,” the SSA said, including that the affect on the breaches was reputational.
The SSA report located “no proof of a factual and incriminating character from any on the suspected NLC workforce which could be recognized from the data and information interrogated”.
It also stated that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities inside the NLC and at its beneficiaries does deliver enough motive to possess these kinds of uncovered from the media”.
Conspiracy promises
In 2020, Nevhutanda explained to MPs throughout a session of Parliament’s trade, market and Levels of competition portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” where facts “stolen” through the NLC was sent to the US, where by he claimed it had been being marketed to fund a smear campaign from the NLC.
He was repeating equivalent promises he had Earlier produced in Parliament, which involved advert hominem attacks on GroundUp and this reporter but was thorough not to call either.
“I came listed here During this August home previous 12 months and claimed to honourable users that information about our beneficiaries is stolen and put in one point out in the usa,” he explained to MPs.
“We termed over the Condition Safety Agency to return investigate the issue since we are having studies that our info is building income for media platforms and journalists,” he said. “There was talk, not surprisingly from 1 supply, just one media, that spoke A lot about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda explained (referring to GroundUp), but didn't convey to MPs that the SSA investigation were completed Virtually a yr previously.
Proactive funding was at the heart in the looting in the lottery. It side-stepped the normal grant process. The NLC could alone detect a job to fund and appoint a non-financial gain organisation to oversee it.
Following Nevhutanda first explained to Parliament in 2018 that he had questioned the SSA to research the meant breach, the South African Nationwide Editors Discussion board issued a statement expressing that his remarks reflected “a very dangerous Frame of mind where the media is currently being blamed with the NLC’s inherent difficulties”.
“In lieu of investigating why millions cannot be accounted for, the NLC has as an alternative attempted to Solid doubt within the integrity on the journalists concerned and has asked the SSA to analyze their resources.”
Proactive assignments created key
Security flaws discovered during the NLC grant funding process in the course of the SSA’s investigation, seem to have been applied as an excuse by the NLC to get rid of all proactive-funded jobs from its central grants technique.
“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all Professional-actively funding projects was heightened to ‘mystery’ and projects had been removed from the grant funding process and managed manually under the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Info Business office, Government Manager Legal as a way to safeguard [the] data,” Nene stated in her affidavit.
“There was loads of inside discussion, with plenty of backwards and forwards, about how to proceed to plug the alleged leaks”, a supply, who was in the senior situation within the NLC at some time, instructed GroundUp. “In the long run, the choice was taken to remove each of the proactive tasks in the system and Restrict entry to A few folks”.
Some in that handful of folks had been implicated in corruption.
Maselwa, who resigned with the NLC several several years ago, continues to be implicated in corruption involving lottery funds. He acquired R4.three-million from lottery resources allocated to develop a library and museum sophisticated in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural Music and Arts Expo) which he applied to develop a property within an upmarket gated enhancement in Pretoria. The property is one of a number of paid for with lottery funds that were frozen once the Asset Forfeiture Device attained a preservation order in December 2022.
The politically-related Nevhutanda, who was appointed since the NLC board chairperson by former President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was close to higher-ups within the ANC leadership, previous NLC former Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-Main working officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated inside the corruption which confused the NLC on their check out.
Also implicated are previous board members William Huma, who resigned immediately after he was confronted with proof of how he experienced profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who's got because died.
Each time a new administration, including the complete board and executive, took more than in the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they found a “chaotic mess” within the documentation relating to proactive funding, much of which was paper-centered. Critical documents ended up missing. Documents held for safekeeping by document storage corporation Metrofile were signed out and under no circumstances returned.
The NLC was capable to Get better copies of some สลาก กิน paperwork from its Mimecast email archiving procedure plus the laptops of their assistants and guidance workers.
Information studies
In his one December 2018 letter, tackled to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has observed with grave concern attainable info safety breaches as well as unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential details received due to performing Formal capabilities within the Commission by NLC workers. The actions are intended to undermine the integrity of the Fee when disrupting the helpful features [in the NLC] and leading to insurmountable reputational hurt to your Commission as the custodian of non-public details entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”
His ask for to the SSA to analyze was supported in an affidavit by suspended NLC enterprise secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.
Nene is at present facing a disciplinary inquiry soon after she was unsuccessful in lawful motion to set aside findings of irregular expenditure on her enjoy.
The goal of her affidavit, Nene stated, was “to file the gatherings which transpired concerning info security breaches on the National Lotteries Commission”.
She listed numerous news experiences which she claimed were being the effects of those “breaches” (see at the end of this short article).
Nene stated that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that one of its workforce, Sello Qhino, had “provided her labeled NLC Info and persistently inspired her to provide the knowledge to GroundUp”.
Qhino, who blew the whistle with a number of dodgy lottery-funded assignments in Kuruman just after attempts to boost The problem internally were being ignored, was subsequently fired.
Referring to an 18 November 2018 report from the Daily Dispatch regarding the misappropriation of Lottery money, Nene explained the NLC recognized then suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an worker inside the NLC’s East London Place of work, who was the spouse and also the mom of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s 3 kids.
Rungqu and Makatse believe Rungqu was punished for the reason that Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and charged internally, with the NLC paying out R470,000 on lawyers to characterize it, but was discovered not guilty and permitted to return to operate.
“The common Consider these article content is [they entail] categorised facts associated with proactive funding tasks,” Nene said in her affidavit.
When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out with the household house to go ahead and take warmth off her and his young children. Facing homelessness, he moved into an Office environment in an empty manufacturing facility belonging to an acquaintance.
The two Makatse and Qhino are participating in an NLC reparation system meant to recognise the hurt many people endured with the palms with the NLC. Apologies and, occasionally, economical payment are envisioned.
“Some persons ended up seriously influenced really negatively by this … This is absolutely painful,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz told the Day by day Maverick very last year.
“I achieved several these people. It absolutely was just so heart-wrenching that their total lives are turned upside down,” explained Scholtz.
Among People she achieved were Qhino and Makatse.
Safe and sound System needed for whistleblowers
The SSA identified the absence at enough time of an appropriate channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to show into the media.
“Failure to possess a focused anti-corruption channel will bring about employees presenting this kind of instances outside of the NLC,” the SSA said in its conclusions.
“Supplied the magnitude of corruption in condition institutions, it continues to be important that it makes sure that the NLC complies with all security prescripts and that its concentrate is on making sure that illegal and irregular perform is adequately mitigated versus and by making certain an suitable channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward carry out without the need of currently being intimidated.”
It recommended the NLC create a “safe channel” for employees to supply info on any “untoward action” that may not stop or discourage personnel from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers coverage, based upon the Shielded Disclosures Act twenty five of 2000, is usually a need.”
Media experiences Nene mentioned
A ten December 2017 report while in the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Wellbeing and Health Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has worked intently with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and proprietor of the Limpopo Mirror, to show NLC corruption. “The write-up experienced aspects of information not readily available in the public area, thus elevating worry on internal Data stability breaches. The allegations inside the media were being independently investigated,” Nene stated. “On the other hand, employees answerable for divulging labeled information and facts have yet for being recognized”;
A 28 January 2018 write-up revealed with the Dally Dispatch “citing numerous allegations within the Limpopo Mirror post posted on ten December 2017 plus a new allegation referring to a previous personnel via the identify of Mzukisi Makatse. He was billed and summarily dismissed with the danger caused towards the organisation.”
A 16 November 2018 article in the Lowvelder regarding the misappropriation of NLC funds involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has reported how, Despite getting R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab hasn't been concluded. “The Lowvelder write-up contained categorised data with regards to NLC plan, raising further more considerations of inside info safety breaches,” Nene reported in her affidavit. “The prima facie evidence with regard to these allegations did not warrant an unbiased Investigation, nonetheless [it] highlighted the heightened info safety dangers inside the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose a couple of dodgy R27.5-million grant to Denzhe Major Care, a hijacked NPO. Nene mentioned GroundUp had confirmed in its story that it was depending on leaked NLC paperwork. This was Regardless of the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Promotion of Access to Details) request for details with regards to the challenge, she said