Dear Editor
The DA is astounded that Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, came to Parliament today to effectively admit to committee that he had failed in his executive duties to properly oversee the appointment of the new Lottery Operator “Sizekhaya Holdings”
It is Tau’s duty to ensure that conflicts of interest between the bidders and government are picked up, and his lack of awareness of possible links between Deputy President Paul Mashatile, his family and shareholders in Bellamont Gaming is simply unacceptable.
This failure to answer shows a huge lapse in oversight by Minister Tau.
This lacklustre response from the Minister and NLC comes after the Committee requested their appearance to answer to various allegations, and we are instead left with more questions.
Media revelations this week that the Deputy President’s own sister-in-law is a significant role player in the new Lottery Operator demands absolute accountability – if found to be true.
Today’s meeting calls into question the whole adjudication process, including the checks and vetting done by the Minister’s own quality assurance panel.
The DA will get to the bottom of what went on that resulted in an ANC Minister conveniently overlooking conflicts of interest, when the family of the ANC Deputy President stood to benefit to grandly. The only other explanation is that the due diligence process was not conducted to the highest standards demanded in the Lotteries Act and Minister Tau was left high and dry.
The DA now calls on Minister Tau to immediately release the names of all members of the panels assessing the new Lottery Operator bids, as well as the Request for Proposal issued in August 2023.
The story of the state capture era was one of individuals avoiding direct control of businesses working with the state but retaining beneficial ownership through family and friends. If the Minister did not insist that the panels properly assess the individuals with direct or indirect stakes in Sizekhaya Holdings, the validity of the entire bid process is called into question.
The release of the RFP is vital, as it contains the information on how bidders were evaluated, as well as the stipulations on conflict of interest used during the process.
The national lottery is one of the state’s most lucrative tenders, and the National Lotteries Commission is already subject to an SIU investigation for corruption concerning over one billion rand. The DA will not allow the award of the fourth lottery licence to join the list of existing problems.
Regards
Toby Chance MP
DA Spokesperson on Trade, Industry & Competition