The South African musician and businessman, Arthur Mafokate, has been linked to this fraud and corruption at the National Lottery Commission (NLC).

On Friday 13 January 2023, the High Court of South Africa, the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, granted a preservation order to freeze three luxury properties which include a plot and a portion of a farm, that are linked to the siphoning of lotteries grant funding, meant for community development projects. 

According to the SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago,  the SIU investigations in the affairs of the NLC revealed that five non-profit organisations (NPO) received grant funding of approximately R56,3 million for community development projects in South Africa. The NPOs are Taung Cultural Music and Arts Expo in the North West province, South African Art and Development Association (SAADA) which is linked to Mafokate, Dinosys, Matieni Community Centre, and Zibsicraft (Pty) Ltd.

“The SIU investigations revealed that the NPOs funded the acquisition of the preserved properties with money they had received, under the auspices of grant funding, from the NLC. The properties, therefore, constitute proceeds of unlawful activities, hence the application for a preservation order pending the final determination of the application for final forfeiture. 

In terms of the High Court order, which was granted on 21 December 2022, they are prohibited and restrained from selling, disposing of, leasing, transferring, donating, or dealing in any manner whatsoever with respect to the immovable properties,” he said.

Kganyakgo says that the SIU was, in terms of Proclamation R32 of 2020, authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of NLC and the conduct of NLC officials and to recover any financial losses suffered by the State.

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