Previous Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda requested the Point out Security Agency (SSA) in December 2018 to research the leaking of paperwork that uncovered lottery corruption.
The NLC’s firm secretary at enough time mentioned media reviews she mentioned ended up according to “stolen” details in an affidavit for your SSA.
The SSA did investigate. It found the data wasn't a issue of state stability and the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “ample motive” for that media to expose it.
A brand new board and administration has considering that taken more than the NLC and Up to now have taken measures to end corruption within the institution.
A Condition Stability Agency (SSA) investigation discovered that the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “delivered sufficient motive” for exposure via the media.
The probe into meant “information and facts security breaches and sabotage of NLC functions” was carried out immediately after then-NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda wrote towards the SSA in December 2018 requesting it to analyze.
Here's
Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by at present suspended NLC firm secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the ask for, and
the security company’s “private” findings and recommendations.
Nevhutanda requested the SSA to research the part of NLC employees while in the alleged leaking of data, and Nene, in her affidavit determined certain media and reports that she claimed concerned these leaks.
While in the letter outlining its findings, the SSA told the NLC that whilst safeguarding state info was “a lawful essential aimed toward protecting the sovereignty and integrity with the point out” this only applied to appropriately classified info.
Although it didn't say so instantly, the SSA results implied that the allegedly leaked information didn't drop into this classification.
Significantly, the SSA built it obvious that the need to guard state information and facts “isn't going to prevent any particular person from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or illegal activity”.
The SSA investigation observed which the NLC info involved with the alleged breach was “delicate and privileged in mother nature, although not classified with regard to the prescripts of your Minimum Info Security Specifications (Skip)”.
“The leakage in the appropriate sensitive Formal NLC information and facts into the media won't pose a risk to national stability,” the SSA explained, adding which the effect of the breaches was reputational.
The SSA report uncovered “no evidence of the factual and incriminating nature in opposition to any from the suspected NLC staff members that might be discovered from the information and knowledge interrogated”.
Additionally, it stated that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities in the NLC and at its beneficiaries does deliver enough motive to possess this sort of exposed while in the media”.
Conspiracy statements
In 2020, Nevhutanda advised MPs all through a session of Parliament’s trade, industry and Competitors portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” in which information “stolen” within the NLC was despatched towards the US, where he claimed it absolutely was getting bought to fund a smear campaign versus the NLC.
He was repeating related claims he had Beforehand produced in Parliament, which bundled ad hominem attacks on GroundUp and this reporter but was very careful not to call either.
“I came listed here During this August home previous 12 months and described to honourable users that specifics of our beneficiaries has been stolen and put in a single condition in the united states,” he advised MPs.
“We referred to as within the State Stability Agency to come look into the make any difference mainly because we're getting stories that our details is generating income for media platforms and journalists,” he stated. “There was speak, certainly from a single supply, one media, that spoke Considerably about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda reported (referring to GroundUp), but didn't tell MPs that the SSA investigation had been finished Practically a 12 months previously.
Proactive funding was at the center on the looting on the lottery. It aspect-stepped the normal grant method. The NLC could itself identify a project to fund and appoint a non-gain organisation to supervise it.
After Nevhutanda first instructed Parliament in 2018 that he experienced questioned the SSA to investigate the intended breach, the South African Countrywide Editors Forum issued an announcement indicating that his remarks mirrored “a particularly dangerous Mindset where the media is staying blamed for your NLC’s inherent issues”.
“Rather than investigating why millions can't be accounted for, the NLC has as an alternative attempted to Forged question around the integrity of the journalists associated and has questioned the SSA to analyze their sources.”
Proactive jobs designed key
Stability flaws determined during the NLC grant funding procedure during the SSA’s investigation, appear to happen to be utilized being an excuse from the NLC to eliminate all proactive-funded assignments from its central grants technique.
“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all pro-actively funding tasks was heightened to ‘secret’ and assignments ended up faraway from the grant funding system and taken care of manually beneath the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Facts Office, Executive Manager Lawful to be able to safeguard [the] details,” Nene explained in her affidavit.
“There was a great deal of inner discussion, with lots of forwards and backwards, about how to proceed to plug the alleged leaks”, a source, who was in a senior posture with the NLC at time, explained to GroundUp. “In the long run, the choice was taken to get rid of all the proactive initiatives in the procedure and limit entry to A few people”.
Some in that handful of individuals were being implicated in corruption.
Maselwa, who resigned in the NLC many decades back, continues to be implicated in corruption involving lottery money. He acquired R4.3-million from lottery money allocated to construct a library and museum sophisticated in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural Songs and Arts Expo) which he employed to create a residence in an upmarket gated enhancement in Pretoria. The residence is one of a number of compensated for with lottery money which were frozen following the Asset Forfeiture Device received a preservation order in December 2022.
The politically-linked Nevhutanda, who was appointed as the NLC board chairperson by former President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near large-ups during the ANC leadership, former NLC previous Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-Main operating officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated while in the corruption which confused the NLC on their own watch.
Also implicated are former board associates William Huma, who resigned just after he was confronted with proof of how he experienced profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who may have because died.
Whenever a new administration, including the whole board and executive, took over 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 document storage firm Metrofile were signed out and under no circumstances returned.
The NLC was capable of Get better copies of some ตรวจ หวย ผล สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล งวด paperwork from its Mimecast e-mail archiving program as well as the laptops of their assistants and aid staff members.
News experiences
In his 1 December 2018 letter, addressed to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has observed with grave concern feasible details safety breaches as well as the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential info obtained on account of accomplishing official functions during the Commission by NLC workers. The activities are meant to undermine the integrity from the Fee whilst disrupting the effective features [of the NLC] and resulting in insurmountable reputational harm on the Fee as the custodian of non-public information and facts entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”
His request for your SSA to research was supported within an affidavit by suspended NLC corporation secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.
Nene is currently dealing with a disciplinary inquiry immediately after she was unsuccessful in lawful action to set aside findings of irregular expenditure on her observe.
The purpose of her affidavit, Nene mentioned, was “to document the activities which transpired referring to info stability breaches for the Nationwide Lotteries Fee”.
She stated a variety of news stories which she claimed had been the results of those “breaches” (see at the conclusion of this text).
Nene mentioned that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that amongst its personnel, Sello Qhino, experienced “provided her categorized NLC Facts and persistently inspired her to provide the information to GroundUp”.
Qhino, who blew the whistle on the series of dodgy lottery-funded assignments in Kuruman just after tries to lift The difficulty internally ended up disregarded, was subsequently fired.
Referring to an eighteen November 2018 report from the Each day Dispatch with regard to the misappropriation of Lottery cash, Nene mentioned that the NLC discovered and afterwards suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an worker in the NLC’s East London Business, who was the associate and also the mom of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s a few young children.
Rungqu and Makatse believe Rungqu was punished mainly because Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and billed internally, With all the NLC paying out R470,000 on legal professionals to signify it, but was located not responsible and permitted to return to work.
“The widespread Consider these article content is that [they involve] categorised details regarding proactive funding initiatives,” Nene reported in her affidavit.
When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out in the household dwelling to take the warmth off her and his small children. Dealing with homelessness, he moved into an office in an vacant manufacturing unit belonging to an acquaintance.
Equally Makatse and Qhino are taking part in an NLC reparation procedure meant to recognise the harm a lot of people experienced for the arms with the NLC. Apologies and, sometimes, monetary payment are anticipated.
“Some individuals have been really affected quite negatively by this … This is really painful,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz instructed the Each day Maverick last 12 months.
“I met a handful of these men and women. It was just so heart-wrenching that their entire lives are turned the other way up,” said Scholtz.
Amongst People she met were Qhino and Makatse.
Risk-free platform necessary for whistleblowers
The SSA identified the absence at the time of an appropriate channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to show for the media.
“Failure to possess a devoted anti-corruption channel will lead to workforce presenting these kinds of situations beyond the NLC,” the SSA stated in its results.
“Provided the magnitude of corruption in point out institutions, it stays vital that it makes certain that the NLC complies with all security prescripts Which its target is on ensuring that illegal and irregular conduct is adequately mitigated in opposition to and by making sure an ample channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward conduct without getting intimidated.”
It advisable the NLC create a “Secure channel” for employees to supply information on any “untoward activity” that would not avoid or discourage personnel from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers policy, based upon the Secured Disclosures Act 25 of 2000, is really a requirement.”
Media stories Nene shown
A 10 December 2017 report in the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Health and Exercise Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has worked closely with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and proprietor with the Limpopo Mirror, to show NLC corruption. “The post had things of data not obtainable in the public domain, thereby elevating problem on inner Details safety breaches. The allegations while in the media have been independently investigated,” Nene stated. “Nonetheless, staff answerable for divulging categorized details have yet to generally be determined”;
A 28 January 2018 write-up posted because of the Dally Dispatch “citing many allegations with the Limpopo Mirror article printed on 10 December 2017 in addition to a new allegation referring to a former worker because of the identify of Mzukisi Makatse. He was billed and summarily dismissed for the threat induced to your organisation.”
A sixteen November 2018 report from the Lowvelder concerning 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 report contained categorized info when it comes to NLC coverage, raising further more considerations of interior details stability breaches,” Nene mentioned in her affidavit. “The prima facie proof with regards to these allegations didn't warrant an unbiased Investigation, nevertheless [it] highlighted the heightened data protection risks within 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 Tale that it absolutely was based on leaked NLC files. This was Regardless of the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Marketing of Access to Info) ask for for facts with regards to the task, she mentioned