Former Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda asked the Condition Stability Company (SSA) in December 2018 to investigate the leaking of documents that exposed lottery corruption.
The NLC’s enterprise secretary at the time outlined media stories she said ended up according to “stolen” details in an affidavit with the SSA.
The SSA did look into. It uncovered the data wasn't a make any difference of point out security and which the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “enough motive” to the media to expose it.
A brand new board and administration has considering that taken over the NLC and To date have taken measures to end corruption for the institution.
A Point out Protection Company (SSA) investigation observed the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “delivered sufficient motive” for publicity via the media.
The probe into intended “information and facts security breaches and sabotage of NLC operations” was undertaken immediately after then-NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda wrote to the SSA in December 2018 requesting it to investigate.
Here is
Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by currently suspended NLC organization secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the request, and
the safety agency’s “confidential” results and suggestions.
Nevhutanda asked the SSA to analyze the purpose of NLC staff members inside the alleged leaking of data, and Nene, in her affidavit recognized certain media and experiences that she claimed concerned these leaks.
During the letter outlining its results, the SSA told the NLC that even though protecting point out information and facts was “a legal imperative targeted at shielding the sovereignty and integrity on the state” this only placed on correctly categorized information.
Although it did not say so instantly, the SSA conclusions implied which the allegedly leaked information didn't tumble into this classification.
Considerably, the SSA made it very clear that the need to safeguard state information “does not stop any particular person from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or criminality”.
The SSA investigation found that the NLC information associated with the alleged breach was “delicate and privileged in mother nature, but not categorized in terms of the prescripts in the Minimal Info Safety Standards (Miss out on)”.
“The leakage with the suitable sensitive official NLC information and facts into the media doesn't pose a threat to national protection,” the SSA stated, adding the impact on the breaches was reputational.
The SSA report uncovered “no proof of a factual and incriminating nature towards any on the suspected NLC staff members that could be determined from the knowledge and facts interrogated”.
In addition, it stated that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities inside the NLC and at its beneficiaries does supply ample motive to acquire such uncovered within the media”.
Conspiracy statements
In 2020, Nevhutanda told MPs during a session of Parliament’s trade, marketplace and Competitiveness portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” in which info “stolen” from your NLC was sent for the US, in which he claimed it had been becoming bought to fund a smear marketing campaign from the NLC.
He was repeating equivalent claims he had previously manufactured in Parliament, which involved advertisement hominem attacks on GroundUp which reporter but was cautious not to call possibly.
“I came right here Within this August household previous yr and reported to honourable users that details about our beneficiaries continues to be stolen and set in one condition in the usa,” he instructed MPs.
“We referred to as to the Condition Protection Agency to come check into the matter mainly because we're obtaining reviews that our data is producing funds for media platforms and journalists,” he claimed. “There's been chat, not surprisingly from just one source, 1 media, that spoke much about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda reported (referring to GroundUp), but failed to notify MPs which the SSA investigation had been concluded Practically a year previously.
Proactive funding was at the guts from the looting on the lottery. It facet-stepped the traditional grant system. The NLC could alone identify a venture to fund and appoint a non-earnings organisation to oversee it.
Right after Nevhutanda 1st advised Parliament in 2018 that he had questioned the SSA to investigate the supposed breach, the South African Countrywide Editors Forum issued a statement indicating that his remarks mirrored “a very unsafe Mind-set the place the media is currently being blamed to the NLC’s inherent troubles”.
“Rather than investigating why hundreds of thousands cannot be accounted for, the NLC has alternatively made an effort to Forged question over the integrity in the journalists included and it has asked the SSA to investigate their sources.”
Proactive assignments built secret
Security flaws identified within the NLC grant funding method throughout the SSA’s investigation, appear to happen to be utilized being an excuse through the NLC to eliminate all proactive-funded initiatives from its central grants process.
“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all pro-actively funding jobs was heightened to ‘mystery’ and projects ended up faraway from the grant funding method and taken care of manually underneath the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Info Business office, Govt Supervisor Lawful to be able to safeguard [the] data,” Nene reported in her affidavit.
“There was a lot of internal dialogue, with many forwards and backwards, about how to proceed to plug the alleged leaks”, a resource, who was inside of a senior position in the NLC at the time, told GroundUp. “Eventually, the decision was taken to get rid of many of the proactive projects within the technique and Restrict use of A few people”.
Some in that handful of people were implicated in corruption.
Maselwa, who resigned through the NLC a number of a long time in the past, has become implicated in corruption involving lottery cash. He acquired R4.three-million from lottery money allocated to build a library and museum complex in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural New music and Arts Expo) which he employed to develop a house within an upmarket gated development in Pretoria. The property is among quite a few compensated for with lottery resources which were frozen following the Asset Forfeiture Unit received a preservation get in December 2022.
The politically-related Nevhutanda, who was appointed because the NLC board chairperson by former President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was close to superior-ups during the ANC Management, previous NLC previous Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-Main functioning officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated while in the corruption which overwhelmed the NLC on their own observe.
Also implicated are previous board users William Huma, who resigned just after he was confronted with evidence of how he had profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who's got considering that died.
When a new administration, such as the full board and executive, took more than on the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they uncovered a “chaotic mess” from the documentation relating to proactive funding, Significantly of which was paper-primarily based. Crucial documents were lacking. Information held for safekeeping by document storage business Metrofile were signed out and hardly ever returned.
The NLC was able to Get well copies of some ตรวจ หวย รัฐบาล paperwork from its Mimecast e-mail archiving program as well as the laptops of their assistants and support staff.
Information stories
In his 1 December 2018 letter, dealt with to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has observed with grave problem feasible information and facts safety breaches as well as unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential information and facts obtained due to performing official features in the Fee by NLC staff members. The things to do are intended to undermine the integrity of your Commission even though disrupting the efficient functions [on the NLC] and producing insurmountable reputational hurt towards the Commission because the custodian of personal data entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”
His ask for for that SSA to analyze was supported within an affidavit by suspended NLC company secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.
Nene is at present going through a disciplinary inquiry just after she was unsuccessful in authorized motion to set aside findings of irregular expenditure on her check out.
The goal of her affidavit, Nene mentioned, was “to history the functions which transpired referring to information and facts safety breaches with the Countrywide Lotteries Fee”.
She detailed several information stories which she claimed ended up the effects of those “breaches” (see at the end of this text).
Nene claimed that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that considered one of its personnel, Sello Qhino, had “delivered her categorized NLC Info and persistently inspired her to provide the knowledge to GroundUp”.
Qhino, who blew the whistle with a series of dodgy lottery-funded initiatives in Kuruman right after tries to raise the issue internally ended up ignored, was subsequently fired.
Referring to an 18 November 2018 report during the Every day Dispatch with regards to the misappropriation of Lottery resources, Nene said which the NLC identified and after that suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an worker inside the NLC’s East London Place of work, who was the spouse as well as the mother of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s a few little ones.
Rungqu and Makatse imagine Rungqu was punished since Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and billed internally, Along with the NLC paying R470,000 on legal professionals to depict it, but was found not guilty and permitted to return to operate.
“The frequent Think about these posts is the fact [they involve] classified data concerning proactive funding projects,” Nene stated in her affidavit.
When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out on the relatives dwelling to go ahead and take heat off her and his young children. Going through homelessness, he moved into an Business office in an vacant manufacturing facility belonging to a buddy.
The two Makatse and Qhino are taking part in an NLC reparation course of action intended to recognise the hurt a lot of people endured in the arms in the NLC. Apologies and, occasionally, economic payment are expected.
“Some men and women were genuinely afflicted very negatively by this … This is absolutely agonizing,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz explained to the Every day Maverick previous yr.
“I fulfilled a handful of these persons. It absolutely was just so heart-wrenching that their complete lives happen to be turned upside down,” said Scholtz.
Among the All those she fulfilled had been Qhino and Makatse.
Secure System necessary for whistleblowers
The SSA found the absence at enough time of a proper channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to show towards the media.
“Failure to possess a focused anti-corruption channel will cause workforce presenting these kinds of cases outside of the NLC,” the SSA explained in its conclusions.
“Given the magnitude of corruption in state institutions, it remains critical that it makes sure that the NLC complies with all protection prescripts Which its concentration is on guaranteeing that illegal and irregular carry out is adequately mitigated against and by ensuring an adequate channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward perform without the need of remaining intimidated.”
It encouraged the NLC establish a “safe channel” for workers to supply info on any “untoward activity” that may not protect against or discourage staff from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers plan, determined by the Guarded Disclosures Act twenty five of 2000, is really a prerequisite.”
Media reports Nene shown
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 the Limpopo Mirror, to expose NLC corruption. “The post had factors of information not offered in the general public domain, thereby boosting issue on inside Data safety breaches. The allegations while in the media have been independently investigated,” Nene stated. “Nevertheless, workforce to blame for divulging categorized information and facts have still to become discovered”;
A 28 January 2018 write-up released from the Dally Dispatch “citing quite a few allegations from the Limpopo Mirror write-up released on ten December 2017 along with a new allegation regarding a previous personnel by the identify of Mzukisi Makatse. He was billed and summarily dismissed with the danger prompted into the organisation.”
A sixteen November 2018 short article while in the Lowvelder with regard to the misappropriation of NLC cash involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has documented how, in spite of acquiring R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab has not been completed. “The Lowvelder posting contained categorized information with regard to NLC policy, elevating further worries of interior details protection breaches,” Nene mentioned in her affidavit. “The prima facie proof regarding these allegations didn't warrant an impartial Investigation, on the other hand [it] highlighted the heightened information protection risks in the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose a few dodgy R27.five-million grant to Denzhe Principal Treatment, a hijacked NPO. Nene said GroundUp had confirmed in its story that it absolutely was determined by leaked NLC files. This was Regardless of the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Marketing of Entry to Details) ask for for facts concerning the project, she reported