South Africa’s National Lottery Commission (NLC) has extended the 2024/25 application window for organisations that wish to secure grants.
Local media reports that the NLC wants to widen the range of prospective national lottery operators to include civil society organisations.
It also appears that some interested companies had been having trouble navigating and completing the NLC”s online registration and application process for the lottery tender.
The NLC requires all organisations which want to secure lottery grants to verify that all members of Boards of Directors are fully compliant with social development requirements.
Civil society organisations which have verified more than 50% of their board members have now been given until 30 May to complete their grant applications.
“We humbly apologise for the challenges experienced by many applicants on the Thuthuka online system, and in keeping with our commitment to fairness, accessibility and public accountability, the NLC will continue implementing urgent support measures such as help desk sessions in provinces,” said Jodi Scholtz, NLC Commissioner, according to multiple South African media outlets.
The NLC’s announcement comes shortly after the organisation was criticised by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), which had just completed its audit of the organisation’s 2023/24 activity.
The AGSA took particular aim at the NLC’s internal controls, particularly the way it manages grants. The AGSA states that the NLC had underspent on how these grants were delivered in 2023/24, along with how assets and deadlines were managed.
“There have been a number of years where the NLC has received qualified opinions. For the last two years specifically, it was more in relation to the grants management,” said Corne Myburgh, the Business Unit Leader at the AGSA.
Furthermore, in a recent investigation into the NLC, South African authorities seized several commodities which they allege were purchased by former NLC leadership through lottery proceeds.
Meanwhile, there has also been some controversy around how the South African lottery licence tender has been handled this year, with Ithuba’s 10-year tenure as operator set to either be renewed or come to an end. The winner of the licence contest is apparently due to be announced this year.