South Africa’s National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has reacted to a corruption scandal in its leadership by appointing human rights activist Barney Pityana as its new chairman. The shake-up occurred after a senior board member was accused of accepting payments from the construction company Upbrand Properties.
The NLC also extended the license of the current operator, Ithuba, because of the scandal.
The search for a new chairman involved 41 candidates, with three names submitted to the parliament for consideration. Besides being a celebrated anti-apartheid activist, theologian and academic, Dr. Pityana was formerly chairman of the old lottery operator, Uthingo.
Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel in making the appointment said, “I am pleased that we have a distinguished, ethical and experienced person to lead the new board of the NLC. Following allegations of corruption involving grants made by the NLC, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition instituted a forensic investigation into the funding approved by the NLC and subsequently the president appointed the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe the NLC funding decisions.”
He added that law enforcement will be taking action “as more information on wrong-doing becomes available.”
