Powerball winner’s numbers finally come in

IF YOU fail once, try, try and try again. This is what a KwaMashu man did when he played the same lotto numbers for 16 years until eventually, earlier this month, fortune smiled upon him when he won the Powerball jackpot to the tune of about R8.4 million.

The man, who cannot be named for safety reasons, said: “I don’t know how to describe it to you, but I honestly had a belief that someday my numbers would win. That is why I never stopped playing the same numbers all these years.”

Recalling how it happened, the man said he had bought a R45 ticket as he usually did.

“Later that night I was watching the live draw show when my five numbers plus the PowerBall came through. It felt surreal.

“I had to check the ticket three times to make sure I really won. It then hit me that indeed I was a millionaire. I immediately fetched a pen to write my name on the back of my ticket and did a silent prayer to thank my God and ancestors.”

He now aims to settle his outstanding debt. “I’ve already made contact with my home loan provider and I want to settle my bond, then look to extending my house.

“But also, just as important for me, is to ensure that my new wealth is not only enjoyed by me, but my family too.

“I want to give a financial business loan to my family members so they can sustain themselves and not look for handouts, that way the wealth of our family will grow beyond this,” he said.

Hitesh Gangaram, owner of Hines Cash and Carry where the winner bought the ticket, said he had seen a rise in customers since the win.

Gangaram said he was quite surprised. He said people who had bought tickets before had won but only thousands of rands.

He said he was happy that a customer from his shop had won the lotto.