The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) might have thought it was finally cleaning up its act, but recent events in Parliament suggest the battle is far from over. After years of corruption and siphoning funds meant for good causes, the NLC welcomed a new board and commissioner in 2022 and 2023. By all appearances, they were committed to putting things right. But last week, an unexpected storm brewed as MPs from the ANC and EFF joined forces in a bid to oust this fresh leadership. And the plot, as they say, thickens.
The scene of this brewing conflict was a Trade, Industry and Competition (TIC) portfolio committee meeting on September 18, where the NLC was supposed to report on its performance. Instead of the expected performance review, however, board chairperson Reverend Barney Pityana and Commissioner Jodi Scholtz found themselves fending off a barrage of accusations and pointed questions, spearheaded by ANC and EFF MPs.
At the heart of this attack were allegations of misconduct based on recent media reports and two curious letters sent to Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau. One was an anonymous letter claiming to be from NLC staff, while the other came from a self-proclaimed activist with ties to the NLC’s former regime. These documents seem to be the ammunition for what’s shaping up as a coordinated campaign to unseat Scholtz and dissolve the board, led by Pityana.
According to one insider, this push to remove the new leadership is nothing short of a “fightback.” Another source went further, suggesting that the NLC is under threat of recapture.
This isn’t just political theatre; there are real stakes. Since their appointment, Scholtz and Pityana have worked closely with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which has been probing the Lottery for years. Their aim? To finally hold the corrupt players accountable. But judging by the reception they received in Parliament, some people are eager to stop them in their tracks.
It became clear just minutes into the meeting that the knives were out. As Pityana began to report on the progress made in curbing corruption and repairing the NLC’s reputation, he was interrupted. MPs weren’t interested in hearing about progress; they had more pressing concerns—like ousting the very people trying to fix the system.
Fueling the fire was one Tebogo Sithathu, who sent a letter in his role as chairperson of the United Civil Society in Action (UCSA). Sithathu, currently under investigation by the SIU for a suspicious R9.7 million grant, lobbed serious allegations at the NLC. In typical fashion, these allegations came without a shred of evidence.
Not to be outdone, an anonymous email from unnamed NLC staff also found its way to the minister. It too made claims of corruption, nepotism, and discrimination. The catch? No proof was provided.
To add another layer of intrigue, Desmond Msumi of the Mageza Heritage Foundation threw his hat into the ring, complaining that his foundation hadn’t received a R1.23 million grant for the 2023 South African Traditional Music Awards. But here’s the kicker—the SIU is investigating this grant too, and the NLC has been asked to withhold payment. Coincidence? Unlikely.
It’s not just outsiders leading this charge. ANC MP Mzwandile Masina, chair of the portfolio committee, has penned his own letter to Minister Tau, calling for the board’s dissolution and Scholtz’s removal. Masina, an ardent supporter of former President Jacob Zuma, has a questionable history of his own, but that didn’t stop him from grilling the NLC’s leadership. Masina wasn’t the only one. Musi Gigaba, another former ANC Minister with a colorful track record, piled on, questioning the NLC’s independence.
EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi didn’t hold back either, criticizing the “recycling” of staff between government bodies. He suggested it was time for a fresh board—people who “don’t know people.”
But Pityana stood his ground, highlighting the steps the NLC has taken to reform the grant-making process and ensure that funds are used for “worthy good causes.” He acknowledged the recent flurry of activity and allegations, noting that some of it might be self-serving, while others deserved further investigation.
Scholtz, for her part, described the NLC as an organization in chaos when she took over. It was like “starting a new organization” from scratch, she said, noting the massive overhaul of policies and systems required to root out corruption. She previously told GroundUp that the NLC’s IT system had been “designed with corruption in mind.” Reforms are underway to track grant applications and cross-check them with external databases like SARS to prevent abuse.
As the meeting drew to a close, Masina wasn’t backing down. He pledged to write to the minister, insisting that the current board and executive lack objectivity. His fiery exit: “This is wrong, it is not ethical and cannot be done on our watch.”
It’s clear that the NLC, despite its progress, is still fighting for its survival. Whether this fightback succeeds remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure—the battle for the soul of the National Lotteries Commission is far from over.
