Lottery board gambles with funds
ANEWS report has indicated that the Cape Town metro council has officially requested the public protector to investigate possible misuse or abuse of the National Lotteries Board’s award of an astronomical R57 million to the Cape Minstrel Carnival Association over the past two years.
The ANC has suggested the DA-run council is furious that the minstrels provided colourful entertainment at the ANC’s birthday celebrations at the Cape Town Stadium.
That could be so, but where there is smoke, there is fire, and the DA claims it has proof that the money has not reached the rank-and-file minstrel troupes, and funding was probably misappropriated.
In addition to the humungous amount they received from the board, the minstrels also received sizeable grants from the Cape Town metro and the Cape Legislature, and I’m sure generous dona- tions came from the business sector. Yet they regularly plead poverty.
If the allegations of abuse by the minstrels’ hierarchy are substantiated by the public protector’s office, the board’s modus operandi leaves a bitter taste in my mouth considering we hear so many distressing reports of noble charities on the verge of collapse due to having applications to the lottery turned down, often on a technicality or only receiving a fraction of the funds they applied for.
For many years, the government has ignored angry complaints at how the Lotteries Board allegedly misspends the vast, but admittedly finite, funds at its disposal.
Its large donation to fund Cosatu’s bash springs to mind.
Another travesty was the R40m awarded to the National Youth Festival which deteriorated into a chaotic ANC youth binge. In that same year, Athletics SA received a grant of R18m and Sascoc (SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) got a windfall of R17m. The Kwesukela Storytelling Academy received R12m. Sports organisations already receive massive financial assistance from the government and the business community.
Most South Africans would not quibble with a small percentage of lottery funds going to the arts, sport and cultural bodies which all play a large part in the fibre of this great country.
The Sydney Opera House was constructed solely with funding from the Aussie lottery, but Australia is a relatively rich country with adequate government social services to help the needy, the chronically ill and the infirm and aged communities.
It’s time our government established an official inquiry to investigate the mandate of the board and crafted new regulations to ensure the lion’s share of lottery funding goes to charitable endeavours.
Until there are no charities closing down due to lack of funds, no glaring problems at state hospitals and no dearth of sanctuary for the elderly, Cosatu, the NYDA (National Youth Development Agency), sport and the arts can compete for the crumbs.
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Mayfair, Joburg