Lottery bosses turned to Point out Security Agency to investigate leaks

Lottery bosses turned to Point out Security Agency to investigate leaks

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Former Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda asked the Point out Protection Company (SSA) in December 2018 to analyze the leaking of paperwork that uncovered lottery corruption.
The NLC’s enterprise secretary at time listed media studies she reported had been based on “stolen” information and facts within an affidavit with the SSA.
The SSA did look into. It found the knowledge wasn't a matter of state safety and the “prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities” gave “ample motive” to the media to reveal it.
A whole new board and management has considering the fact that taken above the NLC and To this point have taken measures to end corruption with the institution.
A Condition Stability Company (SSA) investigation observed that the “prevalence” of alleged corruption and irregularities involving the NLC and its beneficiaries “delivered ample motive” for exposure by the media.

The probe into intended “information safety breaches and sabotage of NLC functions” was undertaken immediately after then-NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda wrote to the SSA in December 2018 requesting it to investigate.

Here is

Nevhutanda’s letter,
an affidavit by at the moment suspended NLC corporation secretary Nompumelelo Nene supporting the request, and
the safety company’s “confidential” findings and recommendations.
Nevhutanda questioned the SSA to analyze the role of NLC staff during the alleged leaking of data, and Nene, in her affidavit recognized particular media and stories that she claimed involved these leaks.

While in the letter outlining its results, the SSA informed the NLC that although shielding condition data was “a lawful imperative geared toward defending the sovereignty and integrity from the condition” this only placed on appropriately classified data.

Although it didn't say so immediately, the SSA findings implied that the allegedly leaked facts did not tumble into this category.

Noticeably, the SSA made it very clear that the necessity to guard state information “won't prevent any personal from blowing the whistle on corruption or irregular or criminal activity”.

The SSA investigation uncovered that the NLC details associated with the alleged breach was “sensitive and privileged in nature, although not labeled in terms of the prescripts with the Bare minimum Data Protection Benchmarks (Miss out on)”.

“The leakage of the relevant sensitive official NLC information and facts on the media does not pose a risk to national safety,” the SSA explained, incorporating which the effects from the breaches was reputational.

The SSA report identified “no evidence of a factual and incriminating nature against any from the suspected NLC employees that may be determined from the knowledge and information interrogated”.

Furthermore, it said that “the prevalence of alleged corruption and irregularities throughout the NLC and at its beneficiaries does provide sufficient motive to possess these exposed in the media”.

Conspiracy claims
In 2020, Nevhutanda instructed MPs throughout a session of Parliament’s trade, marketplace and Levels of competition portfolio committee that there was “a conspiracy” wherein information “stolen” through the NLC was despatched into the US, where he claimed it was being bought to fund a smear campaign towards the NLC.

He was repeating comparable promises he had previously produced in Parliament, which integrated advert hominem attacks on GroundUp which reporter but was thorough not to name possibly.

“I came in this article in this August house very last calendar year and documented to honourable associates that specifics of our beneficiaries is stolen and set in a single state in America,” he instructed MPs.

“We termed on the State Security Company to come explore the subject because we've been having experiences that our information and facts is making dollars for media platforms and journalists,” he explained. “There's been talk, certainly from one particular source, a person media, that spoke Significantly about proactive-funding,” Nevhutanda said (referring to GroundUp), but did not inform MPs which the SSA investigation had been finished Pretty much a year previously.

Proactive funding was at the center with the looting of your lottery. It side-stepped the normal grant system. The NLC could alone recognize a task to fund and appoint a non-financial gain organisation to supervise it.

Soon after Nevhutanda initially instructed Parliament in 2018 that he had questioned the SSA to analyze the meant breach, the South African Countrywide Editors Forum issued a statement indicating that his remarks mirrored “an especially hazardous Perspective exactly where the media is remaining blamed to the NLC’s inherent issues”.

“Instead of investigating why tens of millions cannot be accounted for, the NLC has in its place tried to cast doubt on the integrity on the journalists associated and it has questioned the SSA to investigate their sources.”

Proactive initiatives made magic formula
Security flaws determined in the NLC grant funding program in the course of the SSA’s investigation, surface to are already applied being an justification with the NLC to get rid of all proactive-funded projects from its central grants method.

“In or about 21 December 2019, the classification of all Professional-actively funding jobs was heightened to ‘solution’ and initiatives have been removed from the grant funding process and maintained manually underneath the custody of [Tsietsi Maselwa] the NLC’s [then] Deputy Information Business office, Executive Supervisor Authorized as a way to safeguard [the] info,” Nene stated in her affidavit.

“There was plenty of inner dialogue, with many back and forth, about how to proceed to plug the alleged leaks”, a resource, who was within a senior posture in the NLC at enough time, told GroundUp. “Ultimately, the choice was taken to eliminate every one of the proactive assignments through the procedure and Restrict use of A few persons”.

Some in that handful of people were implicated in corruption.

Maselwa, who resigned within the NLC many a long time back, has long been implicated in corruption involving lottery money. He obtained R4.three-million from lottery funds allotted to construct a library and museum advanced in Kuruman (see Taung Cultural Music and Arts Expo) which he employed to make a home in an upmarket gated growth in Pretoria. The assets is among a number of compensated for with lottery resources which were frozen following the Asset Forfeiture Unit acquired a preservation buy in December 2022.

The politically-linked Nevhutanda, who was appointed as the NLC board chairperson by previous President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and was near to substantial-ups inside the ANC leadership, previous NLC former Commissioner Thabang Mampane, and ex-Main working officer Phillemon Letwaba, have all been implicated inside the corruption which confused the NLC on their view.

Also implicated are previous board users William Huma, who resigned just after he was confronted with evidence of how he experienced profited from corrupt lottery grants, and Muthuhadini Madzivhandila, that has due to the fact died.

Whenever a new administration, such as the entire board and government, took over for the NLC in late 2022 and early 2023, they found a “chaotic mess” from the documentation relating to proactive funding, Considerably of which was paper-based. Crucial paperwork were being missing. Information held for safekeeping by document storage business Metrofile were signed out and by no means returned.

The NLC was in the position to Get better copies of some ตรวจ หวย ย้อน หลัง paperwork from its Mimecast e mail archiving method as well as the laptops of their assistants and assist personnel.

News reviews
In his 1 December 2018 letter, addressed to then SSA Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Nevhutanda wrote: “The NLC has mentioned with grave concern possible facts safety breaches and the unauthorised use and/or dissemination of confidential information acquired on account of executing Formal capabilities during the Fee by NLC workers. The functions are meant to undermine the integrity of the Commission even though disrupting the helpful capabilities [with the NLC] and resulting in insurmountable reputational damage for the Commission given that the custodian of non-public details entrusted to it by its beneficiaries.”

His ask for for that SSA to research was supported within an affidavit by suspended NLC organization secretary, Nomphumelelo Nene.

Nene is presently struggling with a disciplinary inquiry soon after she was unsuccessful in legal action to put aside findings of irregular expenditure on her enjoy.

The purpose of her affidavit, Nene explained, was “to history the activities which transpired regarding information security breaches on the Nationwide Lotteries Commission”.

She shown several information studies which she claimed were being the results of these “breaches” (see at the conclusion of this informative article).

Nene explained that a whistle-blower approached the NLC alleging that considered one of its staff members, Sello Qhino, had “provided her categorised NLC Facts and persistently encouraged her to deliver the knowledge to GroundUp”.

Qhino, who blew the whistle on a number of dodgy lottery-funded assignments in Kuruman following tries to raise The problem internally were overlooked, was subsequently fired.

Referring to an 18 November 2018 short article while in the Every day Dispatch about the misappropriation of Lottery money, Nene claimed which the NLC identified then suspended Zintle Rungqu. She was an staff in the NLC’s East London Workplace, who was the spouse and the mother of whistleblower Mzukise Makatse’s a few children.

Rungqu and Makatse think Rungqu was punished since Makatse blew the whistle. She was suspended and charged internally, With all the NLC shelling out R470,000 on attorneys to signify it, but was found not responsible and allowed to return to work.

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

When Runqu was suspended, Makatse moved out of your household dwelling to go ahead and take warmth off her and his youngsters. Experiencing homelessness, he moved into an office within an vacant manufacturing facility belonging to a buddy.

Equally Makatse and Qhino are participating in an NLC reparation process meant to recognise the damage a number of people endured at the arms on the NLC. Apologies and, in some instances, financial payment are envisioned.

“Some men and women had been definitely impacted incredibly negatively by this … This is basically agonizing,” NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz instructed the Daily Maverick final yr.

“I satisfied a handful of these persons. It absolutely was just so coronary heart-wrenching that their complete lives have already been turned upside down,” mentioned Scholtz.

Amongst Individuals she met were Qhino and Makatse.

Harmless platform required for whistleblowers
The SSA found the absence at enough time of a correct channel for whistleblowers to report corruption led them to show towards the media.

“Failure to possess a devoted anti-corruption channel will result in workforce presenting these kinds of scenarios outside of the NLC,” the SSA mentioned in its conclusions.

“Specified the magnitude of corruption in state institutions, it continues to be vital that it makes certain that the NLC complies with all stability prescripts Which its concentrate is on guaranteeing that unlawful and irregular perform is sufficiently mitigated towards and by making certain an sufficient channel for whistle-blowers to report untoward conduct devoid of becoming intimidated.”

It advised that the NLC establish a “Protected channel” for employees to provide information on any “untoward exercise” that may not prevent or discourage staff from blowing the whistle. A whistle-blowers policy, depending on the Protected Disclosures Act twenty five of 2000, is actually a need.”

Media stories Nene outlined
A ten December 2017 report from the Limpopo Mirror about corruption and maladministration involving the Lottery-funded Vhembe Overall health and Physical fitness Centre in Limpopo. GroundUp has labored intently with Anton van Zyl, an investigative reporter and owner of the Limpopo Mirror, to reveal NLC corruption. “The article had things of data not obtainable in the public area, therefore boosting concern on inner Information security breaches. The allegations inside the media ended up independently investigated,” Nene said. “Nonetheless, staff members answerable for divulging categorized info have yet to generally be determined”;
A 28 January 2018 posting released through the Dally Dispatch “citing numerous allegations within the Limpopo Mirror report printed on ten December 2017 and a new allegation regarding a previous personnel because of the identify of Mzukisi Makatse. He was billed and summarily dismissed for the threat triggered to your organisation.”
A sixteen November 2018 posting in the Lowvelder with regard to the misappropriation of NLC funds involving a lottery-funded drug rehabilitation centre. GroundUp has noted how, in spite of getting R27-million in lottery grants, the rehab has never been done. “The Lowvelder posting contained labeled data with regards to NLC plan, raising further more considerations of inside information safety breaches,” Nene claimed in her affidavit. “The prima facie proof with regard to these allegations did not warrant an independent Investigation, on the other hand [it] highlighted the heightened information and facts security risks within the NLC.”
A 22 November 2018 GroundUp expose about a dodgy R27.five-million grant to Denzhe Primary Care, a hijacked NPO. Nene stated GroundUp had verified in its Tale that it had been depending on leaked NLC documents. This was Regardless of the NLC rejecting a PAIA (Marketing of Access to Information) ask for for specifics regarding the project, she reported