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The DA has recently learnt of the appointment of four new National Lotteries Commission (NLC) board members upon the expiry of the previous members’ terms of office.

While we welcome the non-renewal of previous board members’ terms, on account of their total inability to deal with industrial scale looting of public funds, we encourage the newly appoint board members to do what is right.

Their primary task is to clean up the rot at the organisation and cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure that those who are guilty of corruption are brought to book.

We are also particularly concerned by media reports related to a company chaired by newly appointed board member Dr. Cassius Lubisi. (See here)

It is alleged by the Mail & Guardian that the company Morar Incorporated:

Supplied the KwaZulu-Natal education department with personal protective equipment worth R4-million under questionable circumstances at the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown

Morar’s auditing firm — Morar Incorporated was paid R8 million by the same department to investigate millions of Rands worth of PPE destined for various schools in KZN

Owner, Roshan Morar, was also appointed to the board of several public entities during President’s Zuma’s tenure that have been flagged for nefarious activities, he is also the man who allegedly bagged a R30-million contract with eThekwini that ballooned by more than 300%.

We call on Dr. Lubisi to clarify these allegations levelled against his employer before taking up his seat on the NLC board.

South Africans are tired of the ongoing corruption at the NLC and want the organisation to revert back to its intended purpose, which is to provide funds for non-profit organisations to uplift the most vulnerable in society.

The DA will ensure that the new board is held to account for its performance – failure to discharge their duties will result in severe consequences for them.

Issued by Mat Cuthbert MP - DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition