Cabinet has appointed a new board to the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) which is the subject of ongoing investigations into extensive fraud and corruption by senior officials.
The new members of the NLC include Willie Hofmeyr, the former head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit in the National Prosecuting Authority who is a known corruption buster. The new board also includes former director-general of the department of trade & industry Lionel October and former head of the Competition Commission Thembinkosi Bonakele.
Other members appointed include Beryl Ferguson a businesswoman, deputy chairperson of the SA National Biodiversity Institute and former MP of the Congress of the People; Precious Mvulane an accountant and auditor; and Irene Ramafola , the former CFO of the department of economic development which merged with the department of trade & industry and a director of the SA National Accreditation System.
No chairperson and deputy were announced at this stage.
The new board replaces the four-member board appointed by trade, industry and competition minister Ebrahim Patel in March last year for a one-year term to end in March 2023. This board included Hofmeyr, Mvulane, Ferguson and former secretary of cabinet Cassius Lubisi. Professor Barney Pityana became the chairperson.
GroundUp journalist Raymond Joseph reported in September last year that the Special Investigating Unit was probing dodgy lottery grants which are meant to be allocated to worthy causes worth over R1.4bn.
This was gleaned from a report that SIU head Andy Mothibi gave to parliament’s trade, industry and competition committee.
The NLC funds were allegedly used to purchase luxury homes for former NLC board members and its former commissioner, and a R6.3m Rolls-Royce bought with lottery funds in 2016 by Alfred Nevhutanda, the former board chairperson.
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