The National Assembly's Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition met with the Special Investigating Unit and the National Prosecuting Authority to discuss the progress in probing and prosecuting those who benefited from the National Lotteries Commission's looting. During this meeting, the name of actress Terry Pheto was mentioned.
Image: File
Award-winning actress Moitheri “Terry” Pheto and ex-National Lotteries Commission (NLC) chairperson Prof. Alfred Nevhutanda have been fingered by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) as the beneficiaries of a R20.56 million circumcision project.
The SIU’s senior manager responsible for the probe into the NLC, Mashudu Netshikweta, told the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition on Tuesday that a company known as Zibsimode received R20.56m for the circumcision project, but it was not used for its intended purposes.
Instead, the project benefitted Pheto, who was the lead actress in Tsotsi, Nevhutanda, businessman Malwandla Siweya, and former NLC chief operations officer Phillemon Letwaba.
The SIU has previously stated that Zibsimode received grant funding of over R20m from the NLC for the rollout of a public campaign and culturally sensitive medical intervention projects aimed at achieving traditional circumcision practice.
Another company, Zibsibix, received R5m, which benefitted Nevhutanda through Pheto, according to Netshikweta.
The committee received a briefing from the SIU and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on allegations of corruption and maladministration at the NLC.
Netshikweta also told the committee that non-profit company, the SA Art and Development Association (SAADA), received over R18.6m, which benefitted its sole director and kwaito legend Arthur Mafokate through his 999 Music, which used the money to purchase a fancy guesthouse in Midrand, Johannesburg, for R7.5m in January 2016.
The SIU revealed that in the first phase of its investigation, it finalised matters with the estimated value of nearly R280m, and about R247m in the second.
Its ongoing probe into the NLC includes matters valued at almost R906m, and this phase has been extended until the end of June this year after the unit received additional matters, which necessitated the extension.
In addition, the SIU is quantifying the value of 690 matters, which it plans to finalise by the end of March next year.
According to the SIU, based on the findings during its investigations, it was recommending to the NLC that all current proactive funded projects should be captured in the grant management system/Fusion system.
“The system is designed in a manner in which it is unable to detect different applications for grant funding from one individual using different NPOs (non-profit organisation)/NPCs.
“The SIU recommends that the NLC procure an integrated system that is able to detect such abnormalities,” the unit proposed.
Additionally, it wants lifestyle audits for all NLC employees and the implementation of proper project management.
It has also recommended the establishment of a pro-active funding project committee and the separation of duties between NLC employees and the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund members.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za