Former Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda requested the State Protection Company (SSA) in December 2018 to investigate the leaking of paperwork that uncovered lottery corruption.
The NLC’s business secretary at some time shown media experiences she mentioned had been based upon “stolen” data in an affidavit for the SSA.
The SSA did examine. It found the knowledge wasn't a make any difference of point out stability and the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “sufficient motive” to the media to expose it.
A brand new board and administration has given that taken over the NLC and To date have taken measures to finish corruption for the institution.
A Point out Security Agency (SSA) investigation found the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “delivered enough motive” for exposure because of the media.

The probe into meant “info safety breaches and sabotage of NLC operations” was undertaken right after then-NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda wrote to your SSA in December 2018 requesting it to analyze.

Here's

Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by at the moment suspended NLC corporation secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the ask for, and
the security company’s “confidential” findings and proposals.
Nevhutanda requested the SSA to investigate the job of NLC staff members while in the alleged leaking of information, and Nene, in her affidavit determined specific media and stories that she claimed concerned these leaks.

In the letter outlining its results, the SSA explained to the NLC that although guarding condition information was “a legal very important aimed toward protecting the sovereignty and integrity on the state” this only applied to properly labeled information and facts.

Even though it didn't say so right, the SSA findings implied which the allegedly leaked information and facts didn't fall into this category.

Noticeably, the SSA built it obvious that the need to defend state info “does not prevent any person from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or illegal activity”.

The SSA investigation identified the NLC details involved in the alleged breach was “sensitive and privileged in nature, but not labeled when it comes to the prescripts with the Bare minimum Data Stability Expectations (Pass up)”.

“The leakage in the suitable delicate official NLC data to your media isn't going to pose a danger to countrywide safety,” the SSA explained, introducing the affect of the breaches was reputational.

The SSA report uncovered “no evidence of a factual and incriminating mother nature from any in the suspected NLC personnel which could be discovered from the data and information interrogated”.

Furthermore, it mentioned that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities inside the NLC and at its beneficiaries does deliver sufficient motive to obtain these exposed inside the media”.

Conspiracy statements
In 2020, Nevhutanda instructed MPs in the course of a session of Parliament’s trade, marketplace and Opposition portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” through which facts “stolen” within the NLC was sent on the US, the place he claimed it was being marketed to fund a smear campaign versus the NLC.

He was repeating related claims he experienced Beforehand manufactured in Parliament, which integrated ad hominem attacks on GroundUp which reporter but was careful not to name both.

“I arrived here In this particular August house final 12 months and described to honourable users that information about our beneficiaries has become stolen and place in a single condition in the united states,” he instructed MPs.

“We identified as over the Point out Security Agency to return look into the make a difference mainly because we've been obtaining reviews that our data is creating funds for media platforms and journalists,” he explained. “There was chat, naturally from one particular source, a person media, that spoke much about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda reported (referring to GroundUp), but did not inform MPs the SSA investigation were completed Virtually a 12 months before.

Proactive funding was at the guts of the looting from the lottery. It side-stepped the conventional grant course of action. The NLC could by itself detect a venture to fund and appoint a non-earnings organisation to oversee it.

Following Nevhutanda first explained to Parliament in 2018 that he experienced asked the SSA to analyze the intended breach, the South African Countrywide Editors Forum issued a statement expressing that his remarks reflected “an incredibly unsafe Mindset wherever the media is becoming blamed with the NLC’s inherent difficulties”.

“Rather than investigating why thousands and thousands can't be accounted for, the NLC has as a substitute made an effort to Forged question on the integrity from the journalists concerned and has asked the SSA to investigate their sources.”

Proactive assignments manufactured mystery
Protection flaws recognized within the NLC grant funding method throughout the SSA’s investigation, appear to have been applied as an justification with the NLC to remove all proactive-funded initiatives from its central grants program.

“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all Professional-actively funding tasks was heightened to ‘secret’ and tasks ended up faraway from the grant funding method and preserved manually underneath the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Information Place of work, Government Supervisor Authorized so as to safeguard [the] information and facts,” Nene said in her affidavit.

“There was lots of internal dialogue, with many forwards and backwards, about what to do to plug the alleged leaks”, a source, who was in a senior placement at the NLC at some time, told GroundUp. “In the long run, the choice was taken to eliminate each of the proactive initiatives through the system and limit entry to A few people”.

Some in that handful of folks have been implicated in corruption.

Maselwa, who resigned through the NLC numerous years in the past, has long been implicated in corruption involving lottery cash. He acquired R4.three-million from lottery funds allocated to build a library and museum elaborate in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural Audio and Arts Expo) which he used to create a household within an upmarket gated development in Pretoria. The house is one of various compensated for with lottery cash which were frozen following the Asset Forfeiture Unit attained a preservation buy in December 2022.

The politically-linked Nevhutanda, who was appointed since the NLC board chairperson by previous President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near large-ups while in the ANC leadership, previous NLC former Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-chief functioning officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated while in the corruption which overwhelmed the NLC on their check out.

Also implicated are former board members William Huma, who resigned following he was confronted with evidence of how he experienced profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who has due to the fact died.

Whenever a new administration, including the complete board and executive, took above with the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they learned a “chaotic mess” during the documentation concerning proactive funding, much of which was paper-centered. Vital paperwork had been lacking. Documents held for safekeeping by document storage corporation Metrofile had been signed out and never returned.

The NLC was able to Get well copies of some สลาก กิน รัฐบาล files from its Mimecast e mail archiving technique along with the laptops of their assistants and support staff.

Information reviews
In his one December 2018 letter, tackled to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has pointed out with grave problem probable details stability breaches along with the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of private info acquired due to carrying out official functions in the Commission by NLC staff. The pursuits are meant to undermine the integrity with the Fee even though disrupting the productive features [in the NLC] and triggering insurmountable reputational harm towards the Fee as being the custodian of non-public info entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”

His ask for to the SSA to investigate was supported within an affidavit by suspended NLC business secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.

Nene is now experiencing a disciplinary inquiry right after she was unsuccessful in lawful motion to set aside results of irregular expenditure on her watch.

The objective of her affidavit, Nene reported, was “to document the gatherings which transpired concerning info protection breaches for the Countrywide Lotteries Fee”.

She mentioned various information experiences which she claimed were being the results of such “breaches” (see at the conclusion of this information).

Nene reported that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that amongst its workforce, Sello Qhino, had “supplied her categorised NLC Data and persistently encouraged her to offer the information to GroundUp”.

Qhino, who blew the whistle over a number of dodgy lottery-funded assignments in Kuruman following makes an attempt to lift the issue internally have been disregarded, was subsequently fired.

Referring to an eighteen November 2018 write-up from the Daily Dispatch with regards to the misappropriation of Lottery resources, Nene said that the NLC identified after which suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an worker inside the NLC’s East London Business office, who was the lover plus the mother of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s a few small children.

Rungqu and Makatse consider Rungqu was punished mainly because Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and charged internally, Using the NLC expending R470,000 on lawyers to stand for it, but was located not responsible and allowed to return to work.

“The common Consider these article content is always that [they contain] categorized facts relating to proactive funding assignments,” Nene claimed in her affidavit.

When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out of your family house to take the heat off her and his children. Facing homelessness, he moved into an Workplace within an vacant manufacturing facility belonging to a pal.

Each Makatse and Qhino are taking part in an NLC reparation course of action meant to recognise the harm some people endured on the arms on the NLC. Apologies and, in some cases, fiscal compensation are anticipated.

“Some individuals have been definitely affected quite negatively by this … This is admittedly painful,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz informed the Day-to-day Maverick very last calendar year.

“I achieved a couple of these people. It was just so coronary heart-wrenching that their full life are turned the wrong way up,” explained Scholtz.

Amid Individuals she met were being Qhino and Makatse.

Safe System necessary for whistleblowers
The SSA discovered the absence at some time of a correct channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to show for the media.

“Failure to possess a dedicated anti-corruption channel will end in staff presenting these types of situations beyond the NLC,” the SSA said in its findings.

“Presented the magnitude of corruption in point out establishments, it continues to be crucial that it ensures that the NLC complies with all security prescripts and that its concentrate is on making certain that illegal and irregular conduct is sufficiently mitigated versus and by making sure an enough channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward carry out with no getting intimidated.”

It advised that the NLC build a “Safe and sound channel” for employees to deliver information on any “untoward exercise” that could not stop or discourage employees from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers coverage, according to the Secured Disclosures Act twenty five of 2000, is actually a prerequisite.”

Media reports Nene shown
A ten December 2017 report in the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Wellness and Conditioning Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has labored intently with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and operator of your Limpopo Mirror, to show NLC corruption. “The article experienced features of data not out there in the general public domain, thereby boosting worry on inner Info stability breaches. The allegations during the media have been independently investigated,” Nene mentioned. “However, workforce to blame for divulging classified information and facts have but to be recognized”;
A 28 January 2018 posting printed because of the Dally Dispatch “citing many allegations with the Limpopo Mirror post revealed on ten December 2017 and a new allegation associated with a former employee through the title of Mzukisi Makatse. He was charged and summarily dismissed for your risk triggered for the organisation.”
A 16 November 2018 posting during the Lowvelder with regard to the misappropriation of NLC cash involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has noted how, Despite acquiring R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab hasn't been completed. “The Lowvelder short article contained categorized facts concerning NLC coverage, boosting even more concerns of inside information safety breaches,” Nene stated in her affidavit. “The prima facie proof regarding these allegations didn't warrant an unbiased Investigation, having said that [it] highlighted the heightened data protection risks within the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose about a dodgy R27.5-million grant to Denzhe Major Care, a hijacked NPO. Nene mentioned GroundUp had verified in its Tale that it was according to leaked NLC documents. This was Regardless of the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Advertising of Use of Data) request for particulars with regards to the task, she mentioned