Complaint against Phumelela Gaming dubbed ‘hilarious’

Phumelela Gaming has responded to the Phindi Kema complaint with the public protector against the Gauteng Provincial Government for allegedly exceeding its authority by transferring five racetracks located in other provinces to Phumelela.

Phumelela’s response states: “Ms Kema has a history of instituting meritless complaints and litigation against Phumelela. This in- cludes a matter in which Ms Kema appealed against a finding of the Competition Tribunal, without success, to the Competition Appeal Court and the Constitutional Court. Both of these courts granted cost orders against Ms Kema. These taxed costs are in excess of R250 000 (excluding interest thereon) and Ms Kema has, despite demand, failed to settle the cost orders.

JSE-listed Phumelela Gaming And Leisure Limited is the horseracing and/or tote betting operator in seven of South Africa’s nine provinces. The company also manages horseracing and tote betting in the Western Cape on behalf of Kenilworth Racing.

“Ms Kema’s original complaint, which was made in 2013, was that in 1997 the MEC in Gauteng transferred the Arlington Racecourse in Port Elizabeth to Phumelela without following due process. The obvious and immediate question must certainly be how likely is it that the Gauteng government owned a racecourse in Port Elizabeth? The allegation is hilarious.”

Phumelela has substantiated to the public protector that Arlington has not been owned by the SA government or by any public authority since at least 1815. Phumelela has acquired its racecourses from racing clubs, which belonged to their members. – Citizen reporter