The Lottery and its discontents

Here are articles on who plays the South African Lottery, how the Lottery money is distributed, and dodgy dealings by the National Lotteries Commission and its recipients.

Fowl play! Lottery board member received millions linked to Lottery grants

Grant beneficiaries made payments into William Huma’s home loan

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Feature | 7 February 2022

Suspended Lottery boss faces disciplinary hearing

Phillemon Letwaba accused of using funds to enrich himself and his family

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News | 20 January 2022

What happened to the Lottery money paid to fund games for intellectually impaired athletes?

R25 million seems to have disappeared without trace

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News | 11 January 2022

Secrecy surrounds R80 million in Lottery funding for sports project

Politically connected businessman Solly Siweya pops up again

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News | 9 December 2021

Fikile Mbalula demands R2 million from GroundUp reporters

He accuses us of defamation but does not point out any factual errors in our article

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Law | 8 December 2021

MPs demand update on Special Investigation Unit’s Lottery probe

DA’s Mat Cuthbert says SIU has already missed a deadline given by the President

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Brief | 8 December 2021

Lottery audit delayed as Auditor-General flags problems

Report on the National Lotteries Commission due in early December

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News | 1 December 2021

The minister, the Lottery boss and the luxury R5.6 million home

The strange story of the house Fikile Mbalula offered to buy

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Feature | 29 November 2021

GroundUp’s Ray Joseph is suing the Chief Operating Officer of the Lottery

Award-winning reporter says Phillemon Letwaba defamed him

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News | 15 November 2021

Another win for Lottery investigation team

GroundUp and Limpopo Mirror win journalism award

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Brief | 11 November 2021

Lotteries Commission launches its own probe into dodgy R10m grant

But grant to children’s centre is already being investigated by the SIU

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News | 14 October 2021

Lottery boss suspended as corruption probe heats up

Special Investigating Unit requested Phillemon Letwaba’s suspension

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News | 8 October 2021

ANC councillor questioned over dodgy Lottery grant

Special Investigating Unit interviews Limpopo councillor Solly Mudau

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News | 23 September 2021

Lottery made accusations against our reporter. Now it can’t back them up

Minister Ebrahim Patel responds to questions in Parliament

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News | 15 September 2021

Television pastor and her cronies rake in millions in Lottery grants

Joyline Josamu is a pastor in the church of wealthy televangelist Chris Oyakhilome

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News | 9 September 2021

Threat to journalist investigating Lottery corruption

Tebogo Sithathu’s organisation got grants totalling R9.7 million, but National Lotteries Commission won’t say what it was for

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News | 30 August 2021