Lottery bosses turned to State Protection Company to research leaks

Lottery bosses turned to State Protection Company to research leaks

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Previous Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda questioned the Condition Security Agency (SSA) in December 2018 to analyze the leaking of documents that uncovered lottery corruption.
The NLC’s corporation secretary at the time shown media reviews she claimed were dependant on “stolen” details in an affidavit for that SSA.
The SSA did look into. It uncovered the data wasn't a matter of point out stability and which the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “sufficient motive” to the media to reveal it.
A whole new board and management has given that taken above the NLC and So far have taken steps to end corruption in the establishment.
A State Stability Agency (SSA) investigation found the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “supplied sufficient motive” for publicity with the media.

The probe into meant “details stability breaches and sabotage of NLC functions” was undertaken soon 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 at the moment suspended NLC enterprise secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the ask for, and
the safety company’s “private” results and suggestions.
Nevhutanda requested the SSA to investigate the part of NLC personnel while in the alleged leaking of knowledge, and Nene, in her affidavit recognized particular media and reports that she claimed associated these leaks.

While in the letter outlining its findings, the SSA explained to the NLC that even though safeguarding point out data was “a legal vital geared toward preserving the sovereignty and integrity in the condition” this only placed on appropriately categorized information and facts.

Although it did not say so immediately, the SSA results implied the allegedly leaked information and facts didn't tumble into this class.

Noticeably, the SSA designed it very clear that the necessity to protect point out information and facts “will not avoid any specific from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or criminality”.

The SSA investigation observed which the NLC data involved with the alleged breach was “sensitive and privileged in nature, but not classified with regards to the prescripts of your Minimum amount Data Protection Expectations (Overlook)”.

“The leakage of the suitable sensitive official NLC info towards the media won't pose a threat to countrywide safety,” the SSA stated, incorporating that the influence of the breaches was reputational.

The SSA report uncovered “no evidence of a factual and incriminating character in opposition to any with the suspected NLC staff that could be discovered from the information and info interrogated”.

In addition, it mentioned that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities in the NLC and at its beneficiaries does provide sufficient motive to acquire such uncovered during the media”.

Conspiracy statements
In 2020, Nevhutanda advised MPs all through a session of Parliament’s trade, business and Competitiveness portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” in which info “stolen” through the NLC was despatched towards the US, the place he claimed it absolutely was becoming offered to fund a smear campaign in opposition to the NLC.

He was repeating identical promises he experienced Beforehand built in Parliament, which included advert hominem assaults on GroundUp and this reporter but was watchful not to name possibly.

“I arrived listed here In this particular August property final year and claimed to honourable customers that details about our beneficiaries continues to be stolen and set in one condition in America,” he instructed MPs.

“We known as to the State Protection Company to return investigate the make any difference since we have been getting reviews that our data is building money for media platforms and journalists,” he mentioned. “There's been discuss, naturally from a person resource, just one media, that spoke Substantially about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda claimed (referring to GroundUp), but did not inform MPs which the SSA investigation were finished almost a 12 months earlier.

Proactive funding was at the guts in the looting of the lottery. It aspect-stepped the traditional grant approach. The NLC could alone recognize a challenge to fund and appoint a non-earnings organisation to supervise it.

Following Nevhutanda 1st explained to Parliament in 2018 that he experienced asked the SSA to investigate the supposed breach, the South African National Editors Forum issued a statement stating that his remarks reflected “an especially hazardous Frame of mind the place the media is currently being blamed to the NLC’s inherent troubles”.

“As an alternative to investigating why hundreds of thousands cannot be accounted for, the NLC has in its place attempted to Forged doubt on the integrity with the journalists concerned and it has asked the SSA to research their resources.”

Proactive projects designed magic formula
Protection flaws discovered within the NLC grant funding process throughout the SSA’s investigation, look to are actually used as an justification from the NLC to remove all proactive-funded tasks from its central grants program.

“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all pro-actively funding tasks was heightened to ‘magic formula’ and projects were faraway from the grant funding process and taken care of manually under the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Information and facts Business, Government Supervisor Authorized in order to safeguard [the] facts,” Nene said in her affidavit.

“There was plenty of internal dialogue, with a great deal of backwards and forwards, about how to proceed to plug the alleged leaks”, a resource, who was in the senior situation within the NLC at the time, advised GroundUp. “Ultimately, the decision was taken to remove the many proactive projects through the system and Restrict access to a handful of individuals”.

Some in that handful of individuals had been implicated in corruption.

Maselwa, who resigned through the NLC many several years ago, is implicated in corruption involving lottery funds. He been given R4.three-million from lottery cash allotted to create a library and museum complicated in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural New music and Arts Expo) which he made use of to create a house within an upmarket gated growth in Pretoria. The home is among many paid out for with lottery funds that were frozen following the Asset Forfeiture Device attained a preservation get in December 2022.

The politically-related Nevhutanda, who was appointed as the NLC board chairperson by former President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near high-ups inside the ANC leadership, previous NLC former Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-chief functioning officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated from the corruption which overwhelmed the NLC on their own enjoy.

Also implicated are former board users William Huma, who resigned immediately after he was confronted with evidence of how he experienced profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who has since died.

Every time a new administration, such as the complete board and govt, took above for the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they found a “chaotic mess” while in the documentation concerning proactive funding, Significantly of which was paper-based mostly. Vital files were lacking. Data files held for safekeeping by doc storage enterprise Metrofile were signed out and hardly ever returned.

The NLC was able to Get better copies of some หุ้น ชอง 9 paperwork from its Mimecast e mail archiving process and the laptops of their assistants and assistance workers.

News reviews
In his 1 December 2018 letter, addressed to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has noted with grave issue doable information and facts protection breaches along with the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential information received because of performing Formal capabilities from the Commission by NLC staff members. The actions are meant to undermine the integrity of the Commission though disrupting the successful capabilities [from the NLC] and resulting in insurmountable reputational hurt to the Commission since the custodian of non-public facts entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”

His ask for with the SSA to analyze was supported within an affidavit by suspended NLC corporation secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.

Nene is now struggling with a disciplinary inquiry after she was unsuccessful in lawful motion to set aside conclusions of irregular expenditure on her enjoy.

The objective of her affidavit, Nene stated, was “to record the situations which transpired regarding details stability breaches with the National Lotteries Commission”.

She mentioned different information reports which she claimed ended up the results of these “breaches” (see at the conclusion of this short article).

Nene claimed that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that one of its staff, Sello Qhino, had “presented her labeled NLC Facts and persistently inspired her to supply the information to GroundUp”.

Qhino, who blew the whistle on a number of dodgy lottery-funded jobs in Kuruman just after tries to boost the issue internally were being overlooked, was subsequently fired.

Referring to an 18 November 2018 article during the Day-to-day Dispatch in regards to the misappropriation of Lottery funds, Nene claimed that the NLC determined and after that suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an personnel in the NLC’s East London Office environment, who was the partner along with the mom of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s 3 small children.

Rungqu and Makatse think Rungqu was punished due to the fact Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and billed internally, Along with the NLC expending R470,000 on legal professionals to stand for it, but was uncovered not responsible and allowed to return to operate.

“The prevalent Consider these content articles is [they involve] categorised data referring to proactive funding jobs,” Nene explained in her affidavit.

When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out from the spouse and children residence to go ahead and take warmth off her and his youngsters. Struggling with homelessness, he moved into an Place of work within an vacant manufacturing unit belonging to a friend.

The two Makatse and Qhino are participating in an NLC reparation approach meant to recognise the damage a lot of people experienced for the arms with the NLC. Apologies and, occasionally, money compensation are anticipated.

“Some people had been really influenced really negatively by this … This is basically painful,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz instructed the Everyday Maverick past yr.

“I achieved several these individuals. It had been just so coronary heart-wrenching that their whole lives are turned upside down,” mentioned Scholtz.

Between those she met have been Qhino and Makatse.

Safe and sound System desired for whistleblowers
The SSA found the absence at the time of a correct channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to show for the media.

“Failure to possess a devoted anti-corruption channel will bring about personnel presenting this kind of scenarios outside of the NLC,” the SSA explained in its conclusions.

“Offered the magnitude of corruption in condition establishments, it continues to be essential that it makes sure that the NLC complies with all protection prescripts Which its aim is on making sure that unlawful and irregular perform is sufficiently mitigated versus and by making sure an suitable channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward perform without being intimidated.”

It recommended which the NLC create a “Risk-free channel” for employees to deliver info on any “untoward activity” that may not protect against or discourage personnel from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers policy, dependant on the Safeguarded Disclosures Act twenty five of 2000, can be a need.”

Media studies Nene detailed
A 10 December 2017 report while in the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Well being and Health and fitness Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has labored carefully with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and operator with the Limpopo Mirror, to expose NLC corruption. “The short article had things of information not readily available in the general public domain, therefore increasing issue on internal Details protection breaches. The allegations during the media had been independently investigated,” Nene mentioned. “On the other hand, employees accountable for divulging classified info have however to become identified”;
A 28 January 2018 posting posted because of the Dally Dispatch “citing quite a few allegations from the Limpopo Mirror article published on ten December 2017 in addition to a new allegation concerning a former employee from the name of Mzukisi Makatse. He was billed and summarily dismissed to the danger induced to your organisation.”
A sixteen November 2018 write-up within the Lowvelder concerning the misappropriation of NLC money involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has claimed how, Despite receiving R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab has never been completed. “The Lowvelder post contained labeled information with regards to NLC coverage, elevating even more worries of inner details safety breaches,” Nene said in her affidavit. “The prima facie proof regarding these allegations didn't warrant an impartial Investigation, however [it] highlighted the heightened information protection pitfalls within the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose a couple of dodgy R27.five-million grant to Denzhe Major Care, a hijacked NPO. Nene said GroundUp had confirmed in its Tale that it absolutely was determined by leaked NLC files. This was despite the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Promotion of Entry to Information and facts) request for specifics with regard to the project, she stated

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