Previous Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda requested the Point out Stability Agency (SSA) in December 2018 to investigate the leaking of files that exposed lottery corruption.
The NLC’s firm secretary at the time outlined media experiences she explained ended up based on “stolen” facts within an affidavit for that SSA.
The SSA did investigate. It observed the data wasn't a subject of point out stability and that the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “sufficient motive” for that media to reveal it.
A new board and management has considering that taken over the NLC and So far have taken measures to finish corruption in the institution.
A State Security Company (SSA) investigation found which the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “provided ample motive” for publicity by the media.

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

Here is

Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by at present suspended NLC firm secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the request, and
the security company’s “confidential” findings and proposals.
Nevhutanda requested the SSA to research the position of NLC personnel from the alleged leaking of knowledge, and Nene, in her affidavit discovered certain media and reports that she claimed involved these leaks.

While in the letter outlining its results, the SSA explained to the NLC that even though protecting state info was “a authorized very important aimed at protecting the sovereignty and integrity in the point out” this only placed on appropriately categorised facts.

Even though it did not say so instantly, the SSA results implied that the allegedly leaked information and facts did not slide into this classification.

Noticeably, the SSA created it clear that the need to guard point out information and facts “would not reduce any unique from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or criminality”.

The SSA investigation found that the NLC info involved in the alleged breach was “delicate and privileged in nature, but not categorised regarding the prescripts from the Bare minimum Information and facts Security Expectations (Miss out on)”.

“The leakage of your suitable sensitive official NLC information and facts towards the media isn't going to pose a danger to countrywide security,” the SSA said, introducing the effect from the breaches was reputational.

The SSA report discovered “no proof of a factual and incriminating mother nature in opposition to any with the suspected NLC employees that may be recognized from the information and details interrogated”.

Additionally, it mentioned that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities inside the NLC and at its beneficiaries does provide enough motive to possess these types of exposed in the media”.

Conspiracy statements
In 2020, Nevhutanda explained to MPs for the duration of a session of Parliament’s trade, field and Levels of competition portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” in which details “stolen” with the NLC was despatched on the US, wherever he claimed it had been staying marketed to fund a smear campaign towards the NLC.

He was repeating very similar promises he experienced Formerly created in Parliament, which provided advertisement hominem attacks on GroundUp which reporter but was mindful not to call either.

“I arrived right here With this August household very last calendar year and noted to honourable members that specifics of our beneficiaries has become stolen and put in one point out in the usa,” he informed MPs.

“We called within the Point out Stability Agency to come back check into the issue since we've been finding experiences that our information and facts is producing money for media platforms and journalists,” he stated. “There's been communicate, naturally from one particular resource, one particular media, that spoke Significantly about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda said (referring to GroundUp), but did not tell MPs that the SSA investigation had been accomplished almost a 12 months before.

Proactive funding was at the center from the looting on the lottery. It side-stepped the normal grant method. The NLC could itself determine a project to fund and appoint a non-gain organisation to oversee it.

Immediately after Nevhutanda 1st informed Parliament in 2018 that he experienced asked the SSA to analyze the meant breach, the South African Countrywide Editors Forum issued a press release indicating that his remarks reflected “an incredibly harmful attitude wherever the media is becoming blamed for that NLC’s inherent challenges”.

“As an alternative to investigating why hundreds of thousands can't be accounted for, the NLC has as a substitute attempted to Solid question over the integrity of the journalists involved and it has asked the SSA to analyze their resources.”

Proactive initiatives created mystery
Safety flaws discovered from the NLC grant funding process over the SSA’s investigation, appear to are actually utilised being an excuse by the NLC to remove all proactive-funded assignments from its central grants system.

“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all pro-actively funding assignments was heightened to ‘mystery’ and tasks ended up faraway from the grant funding program and maintained manually under the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Info Workplace, Govt Manager Legal so as to safeguard [the] information,” Nene mentioned in her affidavit.

“There was plenty of internal discussion, with lots of back and forth, about how to proceed to plug the alleged leaks”, a source, who was inside of a senior situation within the NLC at the time, advised GroundUp. “Eventually, the decision was taken to get rid of many of the proactive jobs within the procedure and Restrict entry to A few men and women”.

Some in that handful of individuals were implicated in corruption.

Maselwa, who resigned from the NLC quite a few yrs in the past, has become implicated in corruption involving lottery funds. He been given R4.3-million from lottery resources allotted to create a library and museum sophisticated in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural New music and Arts Expo) which he employed to make a home in an upmarket gated growth in Pretoria. The residence is among various compensated for with lottery resources that were frozen after the Asset Forfeiture Device received a preservation buy in December 2022.

The politically-linked Nevhutanda, who was appointed because the NLC board chairperson by former President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near significant-ups from the ANC leadership, previous NLC previous Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-chief functioning officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated during the corruption which overcome the NLC on their watch.

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

When a new administration, including the complete board and government, took around at the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they identified a “chaotic mess” while in the documentation concerning proactive funding, A lot of which was paper-based mostly. Critical paperwork have been missing. Files held for safekeeping by doc storage enterprise Metrofile were signed out and in no way returned.

The NLC was in a position to Get better copies of some หวย ลาว ล่าสุด paperwork from its Mimecast e mail archiving procedure and also the laptops in their assistants and guidance personnel.

News experiences
In his 1 December 2018 letter, dealt with to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has observed with grave problem possible information and facts protection breaches and also the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential information and facts acquired as a result of accomplishing Formal functions from the Commission by NLC staff members. The actions are intended to undermine the integrity of your Fee whilst disrupting the helpful functions [in the NLC] and triggering insurmountable reputational hurt towards the Commission since the custodian of personal info entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”

His request with the SSA to research was supported in an affidavit by suspended NLC firm secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.

Nene is presently struggling with a disciplinary inquiry following she was unsuccessful in legal action to put aside results of irregular expenditure on her check out.

The objective of her affidavit, Nene stated, was “to record the occasions which transpired regarding information protection breaches on the Countrywide Lotteries Commission”.

She stated a variety of news reviews which she claimed were being the final results of these “breaches” (see at the conclusion of this short article).

Nene said that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that one among its staff members, Sello Qhino, experienced “provided her categorized NLC Info and persistently inspired her to supply the information to GroundUp”.

Qhino, who blew the whistle on the number of dodgy lottery-funded projects in Kuruman just after attempts to boost The difficulty internally were ignored, was subsequently fired.

Referring to an eighteen November 2018 write-up in the Day by day Dispatch concerning the misappropriation of Lottery cash, Nene said which the NLC discovered and afterwards suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an staff while in the NLC’s East London Business, who was the companion as well as the mother of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s three kids.

Rungqu and Makatse feel Rungqu was punished due to the fact Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and charged internally, With all the NLC paying R470,000 on lawyers to represent it, but was observed not guilty and permitted to return to work.

“The typical factor in these article content is the fact [they include] labeled details regarding proactive funding tasks,” Nene explained in her affidavit.

When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out of your loved ones household to go ahead and take warmth off her and his children. Going through homelessness, he moved into an Office environment within an empty factory belonging to a pal.

Each Makatse and Qhino are taking part in an NLC reparation process meant to recognise the damage lots of people experienced within the palms from the NLC. Apologies and, occasionally, money compensation are predicted.

“Some people were being actually afflicted really negatively by this … This is really unpleasant,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz told the Day by day Maverick final 12 months.

“I met a handful of these people. It had been just so heart-wrenching that their complete life have been turned upside down,” reported Scholtz.

Among Individuals she satisfied have been Qhino and Makatse.

Risk-free platform necessary for whistleblowers
The SSA observed the absence at enough time of a correct channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to turn to your media.

“Failure to possess a devoted anti-corruption channel will result in workers presenting this sort of situations beyond the NLC,” the SSA said in its conclusions.

“Provided the magnitude of corruption in point out institutions, it remains very important that it ensures that the NLC complies with all safety prescripts Which its focus is on ensuring that illegal and irregular carry out is adequately mitigated in opposition to and by guaranteeing an ample channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward carry out without the need of remaining intimidated.”

It recommended which the NLC create a “Protected channel” for employees to deliver information on any “untoward exercise” that could not protect against or discourage personnel from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers policy, based on the Secured Disclosures Act 25 of 2000, is a prerequisite.”

Media reports Nene stated
A ten December 2017 report inside the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Health and fitness and Health Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has labored intently with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and operator of your Limpopo Mirror, to show NLC corruption. “The post had components of information not accessible in the public area, therefore elevating concern on interior Information and facts protection breaches. The allegations while in the media have been independently investigated,” Nene stated. “Nevertheless, employees responsible for divulging labeled details have yet being identified”;
A 28 January 2018 short article printed because of the Dally Dispatch “citing numerous allegations through the Limpopo Mirror posting published on 10 December 2017 plus a new allegation concerning a previous staff via the identify of Mzukisi Makatse. He was billed and summarily dismissed with the danger caused towards the organisation.”
A 16 November 2018 posting during the Lowvelder concerning the misappropriation of NLC resources involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has claimed how, Regardless of receiving R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab hasn't been accomplished. “The Lowvelder article contained categorised data with regards to NLC plan, elevating further worries of interior details stability breaches,” Nene said in her affidavit. “The prima facie evidence regarding these allegations did not warrant an impartial Investigation, having said that [it] highlighted the heightened info security hazards in 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 verified in its story that it was determined by leaked NLC documents. This was Regardless of the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Advertising of Entry to Info) ask for for facts with regards to the undertaking, she said