Lottery bosses turned to State Protection Company to analyze leaks

Lottery bosses turned to State Protection Company to analyze leaks

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Former Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda requested the State Stability Agency (SSA) in December 2018 to investigate the leaking of files that uncovered lottery corruption.
The NLC’s corporation secretary at time detailed media reviews she stated were determined by “stolen” facts in an affidavit for that SSA.
The SSA did look into. It uncovered the knowledge was not a matter of point out safety and that the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “ample motive” to the media to reveal it.
A completely new board and management has because taken around the NLC and To this point have taken actions to end corruption on the institution.
A Condition Security Company (SSA) investigation identified the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “delivered ample motive” for exposure with the media.

The probe into intended “data stability breaches and sabotage of NLC functions” was carried out just 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 business secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the request, and
the safety agency’s “confidential” results and suggestions.
Nevhutanda requested the SSA to analyze the role of NLC team in the alleged leaking of data, and Nene, in her affidavit identified certain media and stories that she claimed associated these leaks.

During the letter outlining its findings, the SSA explained to the NLC that even though defending point out data was “a authorized very important aimed toward defending the sovereignty and integrity of the condition” this only placed on correctly categorized facts.

Even though it did not say so specifically, the SSA findings implied the allegedly leaked information and facts didn't drop into this classification.

Noticeably, the SSA manufactured it clear that the need to shield state information and facts “isn't going to prevent any personal from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or criminal activity”.

The SSA investigation found which the NLC information and facts associated with the alleged breach was “sensitive and privileged in nature, although not categorized concerning the prescripts from the Least Data Protection Standards (Miss out on)”.

“The leakage of your suitable delicate Formal NLC facts for the media will not pose a danger to countrywide protection,” the SSA reported, including that the influence of the breaches was reputational.

The SSA report observed “no evidence of a factual and incriminating nature towards any in the suspected NLC staff that would be identified from the information and details interrogated”.

Additionally, it said that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities within the NLC and at its beneficiaries does present ample motive to have such exposed within the media”.

Conspiracy statements
In 2020, Nevhutanda advised MPs in the course of a session of Parliament’s trade, industry and Competitiveness portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” wherein facts “stolen” from your NLC was despatched on the US, where he claimed it absolutely was being bought to fund a smear marketing campaign from the NLC.

He was repeating comparable claims he had previously made in Parliament, which involved ad hominem attacks on GroundUp and this reporter but was careful not to name both.

“I arrived listed here With this August dwelling final yr and described to honourable users that details about our beneficiaries has been stolen and put in one state in the united states,” he informed MPs.

“We named around the Condition Protection Company to return look into the make a difference because we're having studies that our details is making funds for media platforms and journalists,” he claimed. “There was converse, certainly from one source, a person media, that spoke Substantially about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda said (referring to GroundUp), but failed to explain to MPs the SSA investigation had been accomplished Practically a 12 months previously.

Proactive funding was at the heart of your looting from the lottery. It aspect-stepped the traditional grant procedure. The NLC could itself discover a job to fund and appoint a non-revenue organisation to supervise it.

Immediately after Nevhutanda first told Parliament in 2018 that he experienced asked the SSA to analyze the intended breach, the South African National Editors Discussion board issued a statement expressing that his remarks reflected “an extremely risky Angle exactly where the media is staying blamed for that NLC’s inherent troubles”.

“Rather then investigating why tens of millions cannot be accounted for, the NLC has as an alternative made an effort to Solid doubt over the integrity in the journalists associated and has questioned the SSA to investigate their resources.”

Proactive initiatives made solution
Stability flaws recognized during the NLC grant funding system over the SSA’s investigation, appear to happen to be utilized as an justification with the NLC to eliminate all proactive-funded assignments from its central grants program.

“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all pro-actively funding jobs was heightened to ‘secret’ and projects ended up faraway from the grant funding program and maintained manually underneath the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Info Business, Government Supervisor Legal so as to safeguard [the] info,” Nene reported in her affidavit.

“There was a lot of internal discussion, with many backwards and forwards, about how to proceed to plug the alleged leaks”, a resource, who was in a very senior situation within the NLC at some time, instructed GroundUp. “Ultimately, the choice was taken to get rid of the many proactive initiatives in the technique and limit entry to a handful of persons”.

Some in that handful of individuals were being implicated in corruption.

Maselwa, who resigned from the NLC quite a few yrs ago, has long been implicated in corruption involving lottery funds. He acquired R4.3-million from lottery money allotted to construct a library and museum advanced in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural New music and Arts Expo) which he utilized to construct a residence in an upmarket gated growth in Pretoria. The residence is one of a number of compensated for with lottery resources which were frozen following the Asset Forfeiture Unit acquired a preservation purchase in December 2022.

The politically-connected Nevhutanda, who was appointed as the NLC board chairperson by former President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near significant-ups while in the ANC Management, previous NLC former Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-Main functioning officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated inside the corruption which overcome the NLC on their own check out.

Also implicated are former board members William Huma, who resigned soon after he was confronted with proof of how he had profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who has considering the fact that died.

When a new administration, such as the total board and executive, took above on the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they identified a “chaotic mess” within the documentation referring to proactive funding, Significantly of which was paper-primarily based. Important files were being missing. Files held for safekeeping by document storage enterprise Metrofile were signed out and hardly ever returned.

The NLC was capable to Get well copies of some ผล สลากกินแบ่ง files from its Mimecast e mail archiving technique and the laptops of their assistants and guidance staff.

News studies
In his one December 2018 letter, dealt with to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has noted with grave worry possible data stability breaches and the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential information and facts acquired on account of doing official features within the Fee by NLC staff members. The functions are intended to undermine the integrity of the Fee although disrupting the efficient capabilities [of the NLC] and triggering insurmountable reputational harm towards the Commission as being the custodian of private data entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”

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

Nene is presently dealing with a disciplinary inquiry following she was unsuccessful in authorized action to set aside conclusions of irregular expenditure on her look at.

The objective of her affidavit, Nene mentioned, was “to file the events which transpired concerning information safety breaches at the Nationwide Lotteries Commission”.

She detailed numerous information studies which she claimed ended up the outcomes of these “breaches” (see at the conclusion of this article).

Nene said that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that among its employees, Sello Qhino, had “provided her labeled NLC Information and persistently encouraged her to supply the information to GroundUp”.

Qhino, who blew the whistle over a series of dodgy lottery-funded jobs in Kuruman following makes an attempt to raise The problem internally were overlooked, was subsequently fired.

Referring to an eighteen November 2018 write-up within the Day by day Dispatch with regard to the misappropriation of Lottery money, Nene reported which the NLC identified then suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an personnel during the NLC’s East London Place of work, who was the spouse and also the mom of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s three small children.

Rungqu and Makatse imagine Rungqu was punished since Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and billed internally, with the NLC shelling out R470,000 on legal professionals to signify it, but was observed not responsible and permitted to return to work.

“The prevalent Think about these articles or blog posts is the fact that [they include] categorized information and facts referring to proactive funding projects,” Nene said in her affidavit.

When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out from the family house to take the warmth off her and his little ones. Experiencing homelessness, he moved into an Business office in an vacant manufacturing facility belonging to a friend.

Both of those Makatse and Qhino are participating in an NLC reparation process intended to recognise the damage some people endured at the fingers of the NLC. Apologies and, sometimes, monetary payment are anticipated.

“Some individuals have been definitely affected quite negatively by this … This is actually agonizing,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz advised the Everyday Maverick previous year.

“I achieved a couple of these individuals. It had been just so heart-wrenching that their entire life are already turned the wrong way up,” stated Scholtz.

Among Those people she satisfied were being Qhino and Makatse.

Protected platform desired for whistleblowers
The SSA identified the absence at time of a suitable channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to turn on the media.

“Failure to possess a devoted anti-corruption channel will lead to staff presenting these kinds of conditions beyond the NLC,” the SSA said in its findings.

“Provided the magnitude of corruption in point out establishments, it stays critical that it makes sure that the NLC complies with all safety prescripts and that its focus is on making sure that unlawful and irregular conduct is sufficiently mitigated towards and by ensuring an adequate channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward perform devoid of staying intimidated.”

It encouraged that the NLC set up a “safe channel” for employees to offer info on any “untoward activity” that may not avoid or discourage workforce from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers policy, dependant on the Safeguarded Disclosures Act twenty five of 2000, is really a prerequisite.”

Media stories Nene mentioned
A ten December 2017 report from the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Health and fitness and Fitness Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has labored closely with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and operator in the Limpopo Mirror, to show NLC corruption. “The short article had elements of knowledge not obtainable in the general public domain, therefore raising worry on interior Facts safety breaches. The allegations within the media ended up independently investigated,” Nene said. “However, staff members liable for divulging labeled information and facts have however to get determined”;
A 28 January 2018 short article posted via the Dally Dispatch “citing various allegations within the Limpopo Mirror posting published on ten December 2017 plus a new allegation referring to a previous worker through the identify of Mzukisi Makatse. He was charged and summarily dismissed with the risk caused to your organisation.”
A 16 November 2018 short article within the Lowvelder concerning the misappropriation of NLC cash involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has claimed how, in spite of obtaining R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab hasn't been accomplished. “The Lowvelder posting contained categorized information and facts concerning NLC plan, elevating even more worries of inner data protection breaches,” Nene explained in her affidavit. “The prima facie evidence with regards to these allegations did not warrant an unbiased Investigation, however [it] highlighted the heightened info stability hazards within the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose about a dodgy R27.five-million grant to Denzhe Main Care, a hijacked NPO. Nene reported GroundUp had confirmed in its story that it had been based on leaked NLC documents. This was despite the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Marketing of Entry to Facts) ask for for details with regards to the challenge, she reported

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