Former Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda asked the Condition Protection Company (SSA) in December 2018 to research the leaking of files that uncovered lottery corruption.
The NLC’s company secretary at the time outlined media studies she explained ended up based on “stolen” information and facts within an affidavit to the SSA.
The SSA did investigate. It found the data was not a make any difference of condition security and the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “ample motive” for that media to expose it.
A completely new board and management has since taken in excess of the NLC and thus far have taken measures to end corruption within the establishment.
A State Safety Agency (SSA) investigation located which the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “provided ample motive” for publicity from the media.
The probe into supposed “info security breaches and sabotage of NLC operations” was carried out after then-NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda wrote to the SSA in December 2018 requesting it to analyze.
Here is
Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by at present suspended NLC organization secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the ask for, and
the security company’s “confidential” findings and suggestions.
Nevhutanda asked the SSA to research the function of NLC staff from the alleged leaking of information, and Nene, in her affidavit determined specific media and studies that she claimed associated these leaks.
Inside the letter outlining its results, the SSA explained to the NLC that although shielding point out info was “a legal critical targeted at preserving the sovereignty and integrity of the point out” this only placed on properly labeled data.
Although it didn't say so instantly, the SSA results implied that the allegedly leaked info didn't drop into this category.
Noticeably, the SSA designed it very clear that the necessity to defend state facts “will not reduce any specific from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or criminality”.
The SSA investigation observed the NLC information and facts involved with the alleged breach was “delicate and privileged in nature, although not labeled regarding the prescripts on the Least Details Stability Requirements (MISS)”.
“The leakage of your related delicate official NLC facts for the media won't pose a threat to national safety,” the SSA explained, adding that the impression of the breaches was reputational.
The SSA report located “no evidence of a factual and incriminating mother nature versus any of your suspected NLC staff that can be discovered from the knowledge and facts interrogated”.
In addition it mentioned that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities inside the NLC and at its beneficiaries does provide ample motive to acquire these kinds of uncovered within the media”.
Conspiracy statements
In 2020, Nevhutanda instructed MPs all through a session of Parliament’s trade, industry and Competitiveness portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” through which data “stolen” through the NLC was sent into the US, wherever he claimed it was being marketed to fund a smear campaign from the NLC.
He was repeating equivalent promises he had Earlier made in Parliament, which provided advert hominem attacks on GroundUp and this reporter but was thorough not to call possibly.
“I came listed here During this August home previous 12 months and described to honourable users that specifics of our beneficiaries continues to be stolen and put in a single point out in the usa,” he instructed MPs.
“We identified as to the Condition Safety Company to come back investigate the make a difference simply because we've been finding studies that our info is making funds for media platforms and journalists,” he said. “There was talk, not surprisingly from 1 supply, a person media, that spoke Significantly about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda claimed (referring to GroundUp), but didn't inform MPs that the SSA investigation had been accomplished Practically a 12 months before.
Proactive funding was at the center with the looting with the lottery. It aspect-stepped the conventional grant approach. The NLC could itself recognize a venture to fund and appoint a non-revenue organisation to supervise it.
Immediately after Nevhutanda 1st advised Parliament in 2018 that he experienced requested the SSA to investigate the intended breach, the South African National Editors Forum issued a press release declaring that his remarks mirrored “a very harmful Mind-set exactly where the media is staying blamed for the NLC’s inherent troubles”.
“Rather than investigating why hundreds of thousands can't be accounted for, the NLC has as a substitute made an effort to Forged question to the integrity of your journalists associated and it has requested the SSA to investigate their resources.”
Proactive projects made top secret
Stability flaws determined inside the NLC grant funding method throughout the SSA’s investigation, surface to are actually utilised being 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 tasks was heightened to ‘solution’ and projects have been faraway from the grant funding procedure and maintained manually under the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Data Business, Govt Supervisor Lawful so that you can safeguard [the] information,” Nene stated in her affidavit.
“There was lots of internal dialogue, with numerous backwards and forwards, about what to do to plug the alleged leaks”, a resource, who was in a very senior placement on the NLC at the time, instructed GroundUp. “Ultimately, the choice was taken to remove many of the proactive assignments in the process and limit entry to A few persons”.
Some in that handful of folks were implicated in corruption.
Maselwa, who resigned in the NLC a number of several years back, is implicated in corruption involving lottery resources. He obtained R4.3-million from lottery resources allocated to create a library and museum complicated in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural Audio and Arts Expo) which he utilized to create a household in an upmarket gated growth in Pretoria. The residence is one of many compensated for with lottery resources which were frozen once the Asset Forfeiture Device acquired a preservation order in December 2022.
The politically-related Nevhutanda, who was appointed as being the NLC board chairperson by former President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near to substantial-ups inside the ANC Management, former NLC previous Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-Main working officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated in the corruption which overcome the NLC on their own view.
Also implicated are former board associates William Huma, who resigned immediately after he was confronted with proof of how he experienced profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who may have given that died.
Each time a new administration, including the whole board and executive, took more than at the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they discovered a “chaotic mess” in the documentation concerning proactive funding, A great deal of which was paper-dependent. Crucial files ended up missing. Documents held for safekeeping by doc storage firm Metrofile were signed out and never ever returned.
The NLC was in a position to Get well copies of some ตรวจ หวย รัฐบาล documents from its Mimecast email archiving technique along with 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 pointed out with grave concern doable info protection breaches and also the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential facts attained as a result of executing official functions while in the Commission by NLC personnel. The functions are meant to undermine the integrity with the Commission although disrupting the successful functions [of the NLC] and causing insurmountable reputational hurt on the Commission given that the custodian of non-public info entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”
His ask for for your SSA to analyze was supported in an affidavit by suspended NLC enterprise secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.
Nene is at the moment facing a disciplinary inquiry immediately after she was unsuccessful in lawful action to set aside results of irregular expenditure on her enjoy.
The goal of her affidavit, Nene mentioned, was “to file the situations which transpired relating to info safety breaches on the Nationwide Lotteries Commission”.
She outlined numerous information experiences which she claimed ended up the final results of those “breaches” (see at the end of this short article).
Nene said that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that amongst its personnel, Sello Qhino, experienced “presented her classified NLC Facts and persistently encouraged her to supply the data to GroundUp”.
Qhino, who blew the whistle on a series of dodgy lottery-funded assignments in Kuruman after attempts to raise The problem internally ended up disregarded, was subsequently fired.
Referring to an eighteen November 2018 article within the Everyday Dispatch with regards to the misappropriation of Lottery cash, Nene explained the NLC recognized after which suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an employee in the NLC’s East London office, who was the husband or wife plus the mother of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s 3 youngsters.
Rungqu and Makatse believe Rungqu was punished mainly because Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and charged internally, Along with the NLC investing R470,000 on attorneys to stand for it, but was identified not guilty and allowed to return to work.
“The prevalent Think about these posts is always that [they require] labeled facts concerning proactive funding jobs,” Nene claimed in her affidavit.
When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out with the relatives property to take the warmth off her and his young children. Dealing with homelessness, he moved into an Workplace within an vacant manufacturing facility belonging to a friend.
Equally Makatse and Qhino are participating in an NLC reparation course of action meant to recognise the harm lots of people suffered on the palms of your NLC. Apologies and, in some instances, fiscal payment are predicted.
“Some people today were truly affected extremely negatively by this … This is basically unpleasant,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz informed the Every day Maverick last calendar year.
“I fulfilled a number of these people. It absolutely was just so heart-wrenching that their whole lives happen to be turned the other way up,” mentioned Scholtz.
Among the Individuals she achieved had been Qhino and Makatse.
Harmless platform essential for whistleblowers
The SSA uncovered the absence at the time of a correct channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to turn to your media.
“Failure to possess a focused anti-corruption channel will result in workers presenting this sort of situations outside of the NLC,” the SSA mentioned in its findings.
“Offered the magnitude of corruption in state establishments, it stays vital that it ensures that the NLC complies with all stability prescripts and that its focus 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 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 staff from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers coverage, based upon the Shielded Disclosures Act twenty five of 2000, is often a prerequisite.”
Media stories Nene shown
A 10 December 2017 report within the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Well being and Health and fitness Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has labored closely with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and operator in the Limpopo Mirror, to show NLC corruption. “The report had aspects of information not readily available in the general public domain, therefore boosting concern on inner Information and facts security breaches. The allegations while in the media were being independently investigated,” Nene said. “Nonetheless, staff members responsible for divulging classified info have however for being identified”;
A 28 January 2018 post published by the Dally Dispatch “citing various allegations with the Limpopo Mirror report printed on ten December 2017 plus a new allegation referring to a previous employee because of the name of Mzukisi Makatse. He was charged and summarily dismissed with the threat brought about towards the organisation.”
A 16 November 2018 short article within the Lowvelder with regards to the misappropriation of NLC resources involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has reported how, in spite of receiving R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab has never been finished. “The Lowvelder write-up contained categorized details regarding NLC policy, raising further concerns of inside data safety breaches,” Nene said in her affidavit. “The prima facie evidence with regard to these allegations did not warrant an impartial Investigation, having said that [it] highlighted the heightened details protection threats within the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose a couple of dodgy R27.5-million grant to Denzhe Key Care, a hijacked NPO. Nene explained GroundUp had confirmed in its Tale that it absolutely was dependant on leaked NLC files. This was despite the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Promotion of Usage of Facts) request for details regarding the venture, she said