War declared on illegal lottery operators
The National Lotteries Commission wants to declare war on illegal lottery operators.
According to the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry ,Mzwandile Masina, illegal lotteries are debilitating the potential of the National Lotteries Commission to support good causes.
Masina was speaking at the National Lotteries Commission Annual Indaba, which took from November 25 to 27 at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre.
“Entrepreneurship, for example, may be an avenue for the National Lotteries Commission to explore as a means of addressing the very real challenge of unemployment in South Africa,” he said.
“However, they can’t extend their reach to more good causes unless we curtail the negative effects of illegal lotteries.”
National Commissioner Charlotte Mampane said the operator and regulator must join hands and work with the gambling boards to eliminate unregulated lottery-type games.
“Illegal lotteries are prevalent. We have entities and gambling boards in different provinces which are licensing activities which appear to be the National Lottery but are, in fact, not,” she explained.
“A perception of lack of integrity will influence the public’s view of the National Lotteries Commission.
“A partnership approach is absolutely essential to ensure proper lottery functionality and true protection of the mandated monopoly.”
A joint task force between the National Lotteries Commission and the South African Police Service has already been established.
Alfred Nevhutanda, chairperson of the National Lotteries Commission, said he would like to see the commission being given the mandate to “declare war” on those impinging on the National Lottery.
“It is my plea that the DTI gives us teeth to bite.”
He said the Lotteries Amendment Act, which brought the National Lotteries Commission into being, has a shortcoming in terms of enforcement.
“We need to look at regulatory imperatives to identify flaws within the South African legal framework and I believe we need to form a consortium of related entities which are all regulated under the same framework,” he said
Nevhutanda also called for communities to expose fraudsters and for those beneficiaries who are doing a good job to be made an example of and empowered to help others.
