THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has completed 90% of the second phase in its three-phased National Lotteries Commission (NLC) investigation.
The SIU appeared before Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on Wednesday, 14 February 2024, to give an update on the investigation.
It said the investigation is worth an estimated R1,4 billion, which the state and the NLC have allegedly lost due to corruption at the organisation.
Parliament was briefed about the SIU investigation, which revealed how a non-profit organisation (NPO) was hijacked and funds meant to uplift poor women in Marikana and surrounding areas in the North West on a chicken farming project were misused.
Kganyago said the application was decided, and the grant funding for R13 million was awarded to an NPO and paid in two tranches of R7 million and R6 million.
He said in November 2020, the hijacked NPO applied for additional funding and received a further R3,5 million.
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"The SIU's investigation revealed that a shelf company named Silverlite Trading bought the land in Marikana for this project for R400 000. Adv. William Huma, a former NLC board member, is the current sole director of Silverlite.
"The SIU went on a site visit and found that the farm was well-built and completed. The chicken farm contains a workers' house, guard house, egg packaging and storehouse and chicken egg production house, and there's a borehole. However, since the chicken farm is not operational, it's vandalised, and some of the electric cables and solar panels have been stolen," he said.
Kganyago said the SIU has made eight criminal referrals to the National Prosecuting Unit and 11 disciplinary referrals to NLC officials.
