Company with close links to Ithuba Holdings in the running for temporary lottery licence
The state is in negotiations to grant a 12-month temporary licence to run the lottery, before it grants an eight-year operating licence.
Picture: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp
CapeTalk’s Lester Kiewit speaks with Ray Joseph, investigative journalist
Listen below:
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau is negotiating with a company with close links to Ithuba Holdings to get a temporary licence to run the lottery until 1 June 2026.
The company is called Ithuba Lottery and has six of the same directors and the same website as Ithuba Holdings.
Ithuba Holdings has been running the lottery since 2015, but its licence expires at the end of this month.
By law Ithuba Holdings was not eligible to apply for the 12-month temporary licence, as their licence has already been extended once before.
Tau has been accused of favouring Ithuba in the appointment process.
Joseph says if parties feel they were unfairly excluded there could be litigation after the licence is handed out.
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“It really remains to be seen what is going to happen.”
- Ray Joseph, investigative journalist
He adds that there is a possibility of the lottery being suspended if a licence is not given soon.
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