ANC fends off opposition parties after accusation of failure to regulate online gambling

The African National Congress (ANC) appeared defensive during a parliamentary debate on online gambling on Friday - saying it could not be accused of being tardy to respond to what opposition parties said had become a national crisis.

As parties across the spectrum called for stricter regulations and slammed the former ANC government for failing to tighten regulations over the years, ANC members of Parliament (MPs) said it was untrue that their party had not been proactive in regulating the industry.

But RISE Mzansi’s Makashule Gana, who introduced the debate, said it was an indictment on the ANC that the national gambling policy council had not met in seven years - and that there has not been a formally constituted gambling board for more than a decade.

As political parties called for stricter advertising, increased gambling taxes and a prohibition on gambling from an overdraft, ANC MPs were quick to hit back.

The party’s Sheila Xego labelled Rise Mzansi’s debate a performative act and said it was an ANC government that had been swift to introduce legislation almost 30 years ago that other African countries could emulate.

ALSO READ: Rise Mzansi dubs online gambling the ‘new pandemic', demands stricter regulations

“The ANC-led government did not promulgate the 2008 Amendment Act as its provisions were rapidly outpaced by the evolving gambling industry.”

The chairperson of the Trade, Industry and Competition Committee, Mzwandile Masina, said it’s untrue that the ANC has been idle while online gambling swallows the money of poor and working-class households.

He said the ANC does not support a ban on the legalised gambling industry because it’s a labour-intensive sector.

The ANC-led government has acted before and continues to act against the gambling industry crisis, even though its actions are treated with suspicion and cynicism at some point.”

The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s Toby Chance said he would recommend to the portfolio committee next week to adopt his Private Member’s Bill as its own, to help speed up changes to the industry.

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