NLC budgets €12m to pursue lottery corruption cases
The commission is working with the SIU and other law enforcement agencies to recover misappropriated lottery funds.
South Africa.- The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has allocated R230.6m (€12.30m) over the next three financial years for litigation tied to its anti-corruption efforts, commissioner Jodi Scholtz told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition during a briefing on the commission’s 2026/27 Annual Performance Plan.
Scholtz said the NLC had chosen to fight corruption cases rather than withdraw in the face of legal opposition. She added that the commission is working with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and other law enforcement agencies to recover misappropriated lottery funds, secure assets linked to the cases and terminate contracts found to be unlawful.
According to the SIU, its investigation into the NLC involves more than R2bn (€106.6m) in alleged lottery-related corruption. Courts have already granted preservation orders over luxury homes, farms, vehicles and other assets allegedly purchased with diverted lottery funds, although several of those orders remain under legal challenge.
One of the cases involves former NLC board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda, who is seeking to have the High Court review and set aside president Cyril Ramaphosa’s authorisation of the SIU investigation into the commission.
Scholtz said restoring public confidence in the national lottery remains a priority after previous corruption scandals damaged the regulator’s reputation. She noted that the NLC now publishes grant beneficiaries, funding allocations and supported projects while also disclosing the outcomes of disciplinary processes.
The commission reiterated that lottery proceeds will continue to support education, family development, vulnerable youth, gender-based violence programmes, rural development and food security.
For the 2026/27 financial year, the NLC has allocated R2.083bn (€111m) to grants for good causes, representing 72 per cent of its projected budget. The commission expects grant processing to improve after appointing 10 additional distributing agency members to address delays caused by stricter anti-fraud checks and limited adjudication capacity.
