Parties like the BOSA<\/strong> and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)<\/strong> had earlier questioned the transparency and fairness of the process that led to the emergence of Sizekhaya<\/a> as the new lottery operator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The EFF claims the contract being awarded to Sizekhaya is corrupt because of the consortium’s shareholders, Sandile Zungun<\/strong> and Moses Tembe<\/strong>, having alleged ties to government officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n A report from investigative journalism outfit amaBhungane<\/strong> exposing one of Bellamont Gaming’s co-owners \u2013 and Sizekhaya shareholder \u2013 as the twin sister of Deputy President Paul Mashatile<\/strong>‘s wife has further inflamed allegations of cronyism and conflicts of interest in the contract award process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opposition MPs capitalised on the budget debate to condemn the government’s handling of the contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n As reported by Eyewitness News, EFF MP Chumani Matiwane<\/strong> referred to the DTIC as a revenue grab for the ruling party. He noted that in a “normal world” members will only focus on the budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matiwane said: “But this is not a normal world. This is the world where this department has been identified as a cash cow for the ANC. We therefore cannot in good conscience support this budget vote.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n His stance was supported by MK Party MP Edward Ntshingila<\/strong>, who also criticised the budget for failing to address the country’s pressing challenges. Instead, he argued that it sustains exclusion and poverty, and fails to drive transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the allegations surfaced, individuals named in the controversy, like Tembe<\/a> and Paul Mashatile<\/a>, have come out to deny the claims. <\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Paul-Mashatile-900x600-300x200.png\")
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