Note to Editors: Please see attached soundbite by Toby Chance MP
Tomorrow, following the DA’s request, the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) and the Minister of Trade, Industry & Competition, Parks Tau, will appear before the Portfolio Committee in Parliament to answer to numerous concerns surrounding the awarding of the lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings. This follows revelations of links between Sizekhaya and the Deputy President, Paul Mashatile.
The DA will demand complete transparency from the Minister tomorrow on whether the Deputy President was in any way involved in awarding the R60 billion contract. We will also demand a full record of the Minister’s decision-making process.
After leaving the decision on the tender award to the last minute and jeopardising the functioning of the lottery over the next year, Minister Parks Tau finally awarded the licence to Sizekhaya Holdings. Sizekhaya is reportedly part-owned by Bellamont Holdings, a company co-founded and co-directed by Mashatile’s sister-in-law Khumo Bogatsu and Mashatile’s close associate Moses Tembe. Another ANC-linked businessman, Sandile Zungu, is also involved in Sizekhaya. Sizekhaya was founded just days before the deadline for the lottery licence.
Our request initially came after the NLC lost a court case before the North Gauteng High Court, which found that the process undertaken to award the lottery licence was irregular in terms of the Lotteries Act. The DA has repeatedly raised its concerns about the process undertaken to award the licence, including the political connections of many of the bidders.
The NLC and Tau last week were denied leave to appeal, with costs.
Further, in a very irregular practice, Ithuba Holdings wrote to the Committee raising its own concerns on the lottery licence process.
The DA will not tolerate any malpractice involved, will seek answers and will hold to account all those implicated.