National Lotteries Commission media briefing on key organisational developments

The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has today engaged members of the media on key organisational developments as the entity continues its evolution and journey of change.

At a media conference today, the NLC said the organisational turnaround strategy was under way and would be fully implemented over a six-year period. It included a modernisation drive aimed at streamlining processes, stronger oversight mechanisms, and built-in fraud prevention.

“We have worked diligently to respond to the frustrations of our stakeholders around the long wait for funding, while ensuring that we build fraud-prevention into our processes, increase the efficiency and enhance the impact of our work through the development of a new grant application and management system”, said NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz.

The NLC also announced readiness of its reparative measures programme to address harm caused to individuals, and communities by previous actions of maladministration, and to rehabilitate the identified community infrastructure projects to their intended state.

While the interactions with affected parties would largely be behind closed doors, a commitment was made to share milestones of the reparative measures publicly, with an emphasis that each community infrastructure project would be addressed based on the SIU report, community engagement, and other relevant reports.

The NLC has also touched on continuing enhancements to its grant funding processes aimed at increasing efficiencies and improving the service experience of applicants and grantees.

This, alongside continuing engagements with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) to facilitate the appointment of additional members for the Distributing Agencies in order Media Statement Issued by the National Lotteries Commission to increase the pace of adjudications. With the Call for Applications for 2024/25 intended to open at the tail end of 2024, the NLC also announced the revival of Section 2A(3) of the Lotteries Act following the 2022 moratorium on what was then known as Proactive Funding.

Now renamed Research-based Funding (RBF), and with a strengthened policy that ensures transparency at all stages that will mitigate the internal control deficiencies that existed under Proactive Funding, the RBF is to be launched with two critical programmes aimed at addressing pressing societal needs in South Africa: Food Security and Primary Health Care. The Eastern Cape will serve as a pilot province.

Scholtz also noted that while the Request for Proposals for the appointment of the Fourth National Lottery Operator is subject of much interest, engagement with the public and media in that regard would only take place once the process had been concluded in its entirety by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau. Said Scholtz: “Our journey to restore trust and achieve operational excellence is just that – a journey and it requires agility. We have started from within, and the team’s dedication to our turnaround has been commendable so far. We know that we have much to do, and notwithstanding the challenges we face, we are committed to achieving what we have set out to do.

The work is gaining momentum, and we fully intend to maintain it. We are delighted at the determination and positive energy of the team at the NLC.”

ABOUT THE NATIONAL LOTTERIES COMMISSION

The National Lotteries Commission is established in terms of the Lotteries Act No 57 of 1997 to regulate lotteries and sports pools in South Africa. From these regulatory activities, we collect revenue to distribute funds to qualifying organisations that work for the public good across South Africa.

Contact Centre: 08600 65383 / nldtf@nlcsa.org.za 

To report fraud, scams or any suspicious activities, please call 08000 212 129