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- Cabinet approved the appointment of human rights lawyer Barney Pityana as the new chair of the National Lotteries Commission.
- This comes after the Special Investigating Unit uncovered R300 million worth of corrupt payments from the commission to non-profit organisations.
- The commission conducted a raid of at least one NLC office and got an order allowing it to freeze former NLC chair Alfred Vevhutanda's R27 million house.
Cabinet announced on Monday that it had approved the appointment of a new chairperson to the embattled National Lotteries Commission (NLC).
In recent months, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been pouncing on individuals suspected of profiteering from the body.
A statement from Cabinet said human rights lawyer Barney Pityana was approved to serve as chairperson of the National Lotteries Commission. This approval was decided upon during Cabinet's meeting, which took place last week Thursday.
The NLC serves as South Africa's only lotteries and sports pool betting regulator, but also serves as a grant funder for non-government organisations established for causes aimed at improving the lives of South Africans, especially the marginalised.
However, the NLC has been mired in the mismanagement of its funds, with the SIU telling Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry in March that it uncovered R300 million in corrupt payments made from the commission to purported non-profit organisations, which went on to pay for cars and private homes.
READ | SIU freezes R27m mansion linked to ex-lotteries boss
Later on, in the same month, the SIU conducted a raid of the NLC's offices in Kimberly, Northern Cape, with a warrant to search for and seize documents to further its investigations.
In June, the SIU got a preservation order to freeze the R27-million property of former NLC chair Professor Alfred Nevhutanda.
In 1995, Pityana was appointed as the chair of the South African Human Rights Commission. He holds honorary degrees from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina and Trinity College in the United States. He is also a fellow of King's College in London.
READ | SIU raids lottery watchdog's offices after uncovering R300m in fraudulent payments
Cabinet also approved the appointment of Advocate Rory Voller as the commissioner for the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.
All Cabinet appointments are subject to the verification of qualifications and other clearance processes.
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