Editors forum concerned about investigation request by NLC
The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) expressed alarm at a statement by the chairman of the board of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), Prof Alfred Nevhutanda, that the NLC had asked the State Security Agency (SSA) to investigate journalists last Wednesday.
MBOMBELA – In a statement, Sanef said Nevhutanda had appeared before parliament’s trade and industry portfolio committee last month to claim that the NLC had “recently learned” that the NLC’s computers were hacked and “information about projects since 2001 was in the US, with a backup in the Western Cape”. He claimed this was the source of negative media reports about his organisation.
He claimed journalists were being paid to write “fake stories” about the misspending by the NLC, with the intention of bringing down the organisation. “Rather than investigating why millions cannot be accounted for, the NLC has instead tried to cast doubt on the integrity of the journalists involved and has asked the SSA to investigate their sources.”
Lowvelder joined a global investigation into lottery funding in November and reported on an NPO which was building a rehabilitation centre on the Renosterkop Road which was funded by the NLC for R22 million. The building of the centre had been held back due to rezoning by the City of Mbombela. The project is set to be completed next year.
Sigudla, who is the executive of two organisations, has received over R67 million funding from the NLC. The South Africa Youth Movement (SAYM), an NPO, and a sister body called the South Africa Youth Movement NPC (non-profit company).
He also received funding for a musical documentary called Taking Back the Future for R15 million and an old-age home project in the Free State under the NPC for R23 million.
NLC head and stakeholder relations, marketing and communication, Ndivhuho Mafela said regarding the musical documentary, auditions had been held at the Mbombela Civic Centre in February 2017.
“NLC wishes to re-emphasise the fact that the funding received by SAYM in the 2016 and 2017 financial year was to implement a poetry arts programme and a Taking Back the Future musical in Mpumalanga, North West and Free State.”
Mafela added that the media in all three provinces covered various aspects of the project, from auditions to the final performances.
He said throughout this process SAYM worked with a TV production partner and had provided NLC with more than six hours of video evidence as well as photographs of every stage of the process.
Lowvelder requested to see some evidence of the photos and video footage but at the time of going to press had not received any.
Mafela further provided that SAYM had a presence in every province and its focus was on youth programmes such as drug problems, HIV and Aids as well as youth job creation. The organisation had been applying for funding from the NLC since 2009. Below is the timeline of the applications at the NLC and the decisions made regarding the funding;
• December 11, 2009: An application for the organisation was declined
• July 21, 2011: An application for the organisation was declined
• August 15, 2011: An application for a conference on the “integrated funding model for civil society” was approved for R144 000 and the project was reported on and closed
• April 18, 2013: An application for a documentary, Taking Back
the Future, was approved for
R15 million and the project was reported on and closed
• August 29, 2014: An application from the organisation was declined
• September 28, 2016: The organisation was funded for the construction of the drug rehabilitation centre.
Mafela did confirm that the NLC had granted R23 million for the construction of an old-age home in the Free State. He did not disclose to Lowvelder in which town or city the aged home was supposed to be built and what year the money was granted.
“This is one of the good projects that SAYM displayed collaborative partnerships with the other government departments through empowering more than 100 young people in the construction industry in partnership with the Expanded Public Works Programme programme of government. The construction will also begin in the new year, considering that the building plans were approved in November.”
He concluded that the NLC maintained the stringent quality assurance processes which involved regular monitoring and evaluation.
Sigudla failed to comment at the time of going to press.
