The Lottery and its discontents
Here are articles on who plays the South African Lottery, how the Lottery money is distributed, and dodgy dealings by the National Lotteries Commission and its recipients.
Court orders minister to consider lottery licence bids afresh
Sizekhaya will continue to operate the lottery for now, but Minister Parks Tau has 12 months to award the fourth lottery licence
Law | 3 November 2026
Dodgy Lottery lawyer Lesley Ramulifho suspended
The Legal Practice Council accuses him of misusing trust funds, submitting fabricated bank statements and diverting Lottery grants intended for community projects
Law | 2 November 2026
Lottery looters must pay back R6-million
Former National Lotteries Commission officials, foundation members and companies diverted funds for a Soweto sports complex that was never built
Law | 28 July 2026
Dodgy foundation must repay R4-million lottery grant meant for school boreholes
The boreholes had existed for three years before the NLC grant was awarded to the Mshandukani Foundation
News | 24 July 2026
SANEF clears Sefara, but he won’t return as chair
His company was to receive R250,000, excluding expenses, from a lottery grant to organise a one-day workshop for fewer than 50 delegates
News | 6 July 2026
New Lottery Commission Board chair appointed
King Tembinkosi Bonakele has been appointed chairperson of the National Lottery Commission’s board.
Brief | 6 July 2026
Lottery budgets nearly a quarter of a billion rand for legal fees
This is the cost of rooting out corruption, Commissioner Jodi Scholtz tells Parliament
News | 25 June 2026
Hawks act on lottery looting cases
Within weeks of missing a parliamentary briefing, the Hawks submitted 13 lottery fraud dockets to prosecutors
News | 4 June 2026
Lottery Olympics scammers must pay back the money
R25-million in lottery funds looted through a fake Rio Olympics roadshow
Law | 3 June 2026