Totalitarian talk shop: DA welcomes decision to review R40 million Lotto allocation
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the decision taken by the National Lotteries Board to reconsider the allocation of their R40 million funding grant to the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), for their scandalous "Lets fight imperialism!" festival.
Lotteries chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda is being quoted this morning stating that the Lotteries Board will "use its discretion by looking at how the money was spent. We will condone it or, if [it] deviates from the agreed line items, ask them to repay the money."
We believe that the decision to allocate funds was unprecedented and completely wrongheaded - a gross misuse of funds which not only deprived various public charities, but also those deeply dependent on the assistance they provide.
It placed sorely needed money into the NYDA coffers for a glorified ANC Youth League (ANC YL) party. The decision by the Lotteries Board, however, is at least one small step towards rectifying this disturbing state of affairs, in which a total of R40-million in lottery money has been granted to this sham.
We trust that the Lotteries Board will now also disclose the criteria by which such an unprecedented donation was made in the first place, since nowhere in its mandate has it made room for grotesquely self-indulgent week-long parties that offer no real benefit to our citizens.