Lottery bosses turned to Point out Protection Company to research leaks

Lottery bosses turned to Point out Protection Company to research leaks

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Former Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda requested the Point out Stability Company (SSA) in December 2018 to investigate the leaking of documents that exposed lottery corruption.
The NLC’s corporation secretary at some time outlined media studies she claimed were being determined by “stolen” facts in an affidavit for your SSA.
The SSA did investigate. It discovered the data wasn't a issue of state stability and the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “ample motive” for that media to expose it.
A brand new board and administration has considering that taken above the NLC and Up to now have taken measures to finish corruption at the institution.
A Condition Stability Agency (SSA) investigation located which the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “supplied ample motive” for exposure because of the media.

The probe into meant “information security breaches and sabotage of NLC operations” was undertaken following then-NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda wrote for the SSA in December 2018 requesting it to research.

Here is

Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by at present suspended NLC organization secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the request, and
the safety agency’s “confidential” results and suggestions.
Nevhutanda questioned the SSA to research the role of NLC team during the alleged leaking of data, and Nene, in her affidavit determined specific media and reports that she claimed concerned these leaks.

During the letter outlining its results, the SSA advised the NLC that although defending point out information and facts was “a authorized critical geared toward preserving the sovereignty and integrity in the state” this only applied to appropriately categorized information and facts.

Even though it didn't say so specifically, the SSA findings implied that the allegedly leaked details did not fall into this group.

Noticeably, the SSA produced it distinct that the need to defend state info “won't prevent any personal from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or criminal activity”.

The SSA investigation located the NLC information and facts involved with the alleged breach was “sensitive and privileged in mother nature, but not categorised when it comes to the prescripts with the Minimal Information Stability Criteria (MISS)”.

“The leakage with the relevant sensitive official NLC facts to the media doesn't pose a risk to countrywide stability,” the SSA reported, introducing which the impression on the breaches was reputational.

The SSA report located “no evidence of the factual and incriminating character against any from the suspected NLC employees that could be determined from the knowledge and information interrogated”.

What's more, it mentioned that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities inside the NLC and at its beneficiaries does give ample motive to obtain this kind of exposed in the media”.

Conspiracy promises
In 2020, Nevhutanda advised MPs throughout a session of Parliament’s trade, marketplace and Competitiveness portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” where information “stolen” through the NLC was despatched into the US, exactly where he claimed it was currently being marketed to fund a smear campaign versus the NLC.

He was repeating similar promises he experienced previously produced in Parliament, which integrated ad hominem assaults on GroundUp and this reporter but was very careful not to name possibly.

“I came below Within this August household last 12 months and claimed to honourable associates that specifics of our beneficiaries is stolen and place in a single point out in America,” he informed MPs.

“We termed within the State Safety Agency to come back consider the make a difference simply because we're finding experiences that our information is creating revenue for media platforms and journalists,” he reported. “There was communicate, naturally from a single source, a person media, that spoke Considerably about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda stated (referring to GroundUp), but didn't inform MPs which the SSA investigation had been concluded Virtually a 12 months previously.

Proactive funding was at the center with the looting of the lottery. It side-stepped the normal grant method. The NLC could itself identify a task to fund and appoint a non-gain organisation to supervise it.

Following Nevhutanda 1st explained to Parliament in 2018 that he experienced requested the SSA to research the meant breach, the South African Nationwide Editors Forum issued an announcement stating that his remarks mirrored “an especially harmful Mind-set in which the media is being blamed to the NLC’s inherent complications”.

“Rather then investigating why thousands and thousands cannot be accounted for, the NLC has in its place made an effort to Forged doubt about the integrity on the journalists involved and has requested the SSA to investigate their resources.”

Proactive tasks manufactured key
Protection flaws determined within the NLC grant funding system over the SSA’s investigation, surface to are utilized as an justification through the NLC to eliminate all proactive-funded initiatives from its central grants system.

“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all pro-actively funding tasks was heightened to ‘magic formula’ and projects had been removed from the grant funding procedure and taken care of manually under the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Info Place of work, Government Manager Authorized so as to safeguard [the] data,” Nene explained in her affidavit.

“There was a great deal of internal dialogue, with a lot of back and forth, about how to proceed to plug the alleged leaks”, a supply, who was in the senior position for the NLC at enough time, told GroundUp. “In the end, the decision was taken to remove many of the proactive assignments within the system and limit entry to A few individuals”.

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

Maselwa, who resigned in the NLC several a long time ago, continues to be implicated in corruption involving lottery resources. He obtained R4.three-million from lottery money allotted to create a library and museum advanced in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural Songs and Arts Expo) which he applied to build a household within an upmarket gated advancement in Pretoria. The residence is among several compensated for with lottery resources which were frozen once the Asset Forfeiture Device attained a preservation order in December 2022.

The politically-connected Nevhutanda, who was appointed since the NLC board chairperson by former President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near to substantial-ups from the ANC Management, former NLC previous Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-chief working officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated within the corruption which confused the NLC on their observe.

Also implicated are former board members William Huma, who resigned after he was confronted with proof of how he experienced profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, who's got considering that died.

When a new administration, such as the complete board and government, took more than with the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they found out a “chaotic mess” inside the documentation concerning proactive funding, A lot of which was paper-based mostly. Essential paperwork ended up lacking. Data files held for safekeeping by doc storage company Metrofile were signed out and by no means returned.

The NLC was in a position to Recuperate copies of some ตรวจ หวย ผล สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล งวด paperwork from its Mimecast e mail archiving procedure and the laptops in their assistants and aid staff members.

Information stories
In his 1 December 2018 letter, addressed to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has noted with grave issue probable information protection breaches along with the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential information received as a result of accomplishing official capabilities inside the Fee by NLC staff. The actions are meant to undermine the integrity from the Fee whilst disrupting the powerful features [of your NLC] and resulting in insurmountable reputational hurt on the Fee as the custodian of personal details entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”

His request to the SSA to research was supported in an affidavit by suspended NLC firm secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.

Nene is at the moment going through a disciplinary inquiry following she was unsuccessful in legal motion to set aside conclusions of irregular expenditure on her enjoy.

The goal of her affidavit, Nene explained, was “to file the activities which transpired concerning information and facts safety breaches within the Nationwide Lotteries Fee”.

She shown various news reviews which she claimed ended up the results of those “breaches” (see at the end of this short article).

Nene explained that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that amongst its personnel, Sello Qhino, had “offered her classified NLC Info and persistently inspired her to deliver the data to GroundUp”.

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

Referring to an eighteen November 2018 posting inside the Day by day Dispatch in regards to the misappropriation of Lottery resources, Nene said that the NLC recognized after which you can suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an employee while in the NLC’s East London office, who was the spouse plus the mom of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s three young children.

Rungqu and Makatse believe that Rungqu was punished because Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and billed internally, While using the NLC investing R470,000 on lawyers to signify it, but was discovered not responsible and permitted to return to work.

“The typical Think about these content is always that [they include] labeled info concerning proactive funding projects,” Nene mentioned in her affidavit.

When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out with the family residence to go ahead and take warmth off her and his youngsters. Facing homelessness, he moved into an Business office within an empty manufacturing facility belonging to a colleague.

Both equally Makatse and Qhino are taking part in an NLC reparation course of action meant to recognise the hurt many people suffered at the palms from the NLC. Apologies and, occasionally, economical payment are predicted.

“Some individuals were truly affected pretty negatively by this … This is really distressing,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz advised the Day-to-day Maverick last 12 months.

“I achieved a few these individuals. It had been just so heart-wrenching that their full life are turned the other way up,” mentioned Scholtz.

Between those she met have been Qhino and Makatse.

Harmless System needed for whistleblowers
The SSA observed the absence at the time of a proper channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to show to the media.

“Failure to have a focused anti-corruption channel will bring about workforce presenting such conditions beyond the NLC,” the SSA claimed in its results.

“Presented the magnitude of corruption in condition establishments, it remains very important that it makes sure that the NLC complies with all stability prescripts and that its emphasis is on making sure that unlawful and irregular conduct is adequately mitigated in opposition to and by making sure an suitable channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward perform with out currently being intimidated.”

It proposed which the NLC create a “Risk-free channel” for employees to provide info on any “untoward action” that might not avoid or discourage staff from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers plan, determined by the Safeguarded Disclosures Act twenty five of 2000, is often a necessity.”

Media reports Nene stated
A ten December 2017 report inside the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Health and fitness and Physical fitness Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has labored closely with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and owner on the Limpopo Mirror, to reveal NLC corruption. “The short article experienced elements of information not obtainable in the public area, thus boosting worry on inside Information and facts stability breaches. The allegations during the media ended up independently investigated,” Nene claimed. “Having said that, staff members responsible for divulging categorised facts have still for being discovered”;
A 28 January 2018 report published via the Dally Dispatch “citing several allegations in the Limpopo Mirror short article printed on 10 December 2017 and a new allegation associated with a previous employee with the title of Mzukisi Makatse. He was billed and summarily dismissed with the threat triggered on the organisation.”
A sixteen November 2018 report from the Lowvelder concerning the misappropriation of NLC funds involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has reported how, in spite of acquiring R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab hasn't been concluded. “The Lowvelder report contained classified information in terms of NLC coverage, boosting even more issues of inside info protection breaches,” Nene stated in her affidavit. “The prima facie evidence with regards to these allegations didn't warrant an independent Investigation, even so [it] highlighted the heightened information security challenges in the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose a couple of dodgy R27.five-million grant to Denzhe Primary Care, a hijacked NPO. Nene stated GroundUp had confirmed in its Tale that it was depending on leaked NLC documents. This was Regardless of the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Advertising of Use of Facts) request for details concerning the project, she said