DA welcomes the SIU raid on NLC offices

8 December 2020

Note to Editors: Please find attached a soundbite by Mat Cuthbert MP

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the Special Investigative Unit’s (SIU) raid on the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) head office this morning.

This is the culmination of sustained pressure by the DA in Parliament during the course of this year as well as the litany of exposes relating to the NLC by the media.

At the outset of this year the DA fought to get the lists of 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and Covid-19 Relief Fund beneficiaries from the NLC - who mounted a Stalingrad defence to prevent this from happening.

However, our ability to constantly keep it on the committee agenda, our laying of criminal charges against the board and the immense pressure we placed on Minister Patel led to these lists being released.

The reason we fought so hard to get these lists released was the rampant corruption we believe to have been concealed by the NLC such as the R5.5 Million “Mystery Lotto Project” in Louis Trichardt. Where an organisation aligned to the African National Congress (ANC) was granted money to complete a project in the Northern Cape.

In addition, the DA blew the lid on the Hangwani Mulaudzi scandal, in which R3 Million was granted to Mulaudzi and allegedly used to pay kickbacks and purchase a taxi fleet.

After one month, the DA succeeded in getting him to resign.

The fact is money meant for the most vulnerable in our society was misappropriated and this cannot be allowed to continue unchallenged.

We will not stop until all of those implicated in corruption and maladministration are held accountable for their actions.

However, there is one question that continues to evade Minister Patel, why does he steadfastly refuse to dissolve the NLC board and place it under administration? Instead of being the crusader against corruption, he continues to be its caretaker.

Issued by Mat Cuthbert,DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, 8 December 2020