Newly-awarded national lottery licence operator Sizekhaya Holdings' ties to ANC questioned

JOHANNESBURG - Sizekhaya Holdings’ almost R200 billion lottery win is drawing attention, amid questions over its ties to the African National Congress (ANC).

On Wednesday, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition announced the consortium as the 4th national lottery and sports pool licence holder. However, some political parties have raised questions around Sizekhaya’s links to businessman and ANC member, Sandile Zungu.

Half of Sizekhaya Holdings is owned by betting company, Goldrush Holdings. 

Zungu was a non-executive director at Goldrush for more than eight years before resigning in 2023.

Zungu is a long-standing ANC member and has previously contested for the party’s top leadership post in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

While Zungu resigned from Goldrush a year before Sizekhaya was registered, political parties Build One South Africa (BOSA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have questioned his involvement in the deal.

BOSA is demanding that a full report be tabled before Parliament detailing the evaluation criteria, scoring system, and outcomes for all submitted bids.