Parliament to question Minister Tau over R60bn lotto deal with links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile

CapeTalk's John Maytham is joined by Azzarrah Karrim, a journalist at the AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism.

Listen below:

Last month,  Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau announced Sizekhaya Holdings Ltd as the winning bidder for the multi-billion-rand tender to run the national lottery.

In an article published this week, the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism reveals that the consortium has links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

"We found a very key company called Bellamount Gaming. This company has shareholding in Sizekhaya, but it's directed by a politically connected businessman, Moses Tembe, and a woman named Khumo Bogatsu... Mashatile's sister-in-law."

- Azzarrah Karrim, investigative journalist - amaBhungane

Karrim says Bellamont Gaming was registered in 2023 and appears to have no traceable track record of its suitability to take over the eight-year lottery contract from Ithuba Holdings.

She describes the awarding of the license as 'very opaque'.

ALSO READ: A tangled web of corruption... Deputy President Paul Mashatile denies wrongdoing

Meanwhile, the DA says it will scrutinise the new operator to ensure everything is 'above board'.

MP Toby Chance announced on Monday that the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) and Parks Tau will appear before the Portfolio Committee in Parliament to answer concerns surrounding the awarding of the lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings.

"amaBhungane hasn't been the only one to raise red flags in this deal. There's been the DA, there's been the EFF, and Build One South Africa." 

- Azzarrah Karrim, investigative journalist - amaBhungane

"... what was the process that was followed? Why did the minister award Sizekhaya this license?"

- Azzarrah Karrim, investigative journalist - amaBhungane

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham.