WATCH: Mashatile denies family tied to multibillion-rand lottery deal

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has denied suggestions of political interference in the awarding of a lucrative national lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings.

Among Sizekhaya’s shareholders is Bellamont Gaming, a company co-owned and co-directed by Khumo Bogatsu and Moses Tembe, the KwaZulu-Natal businessman who chairs Sizekhaya.

Bogatsu is the twin sister of Humile Mashatile, the deputy president’s wife.

‘Printing money’

Sizekhaya landed the lucrative licence to operate South Africa’s national lottery for eight years.

Bellamont Gaming was registered nine months later, in December 2023, with Tembe and Bogatsu as its founding and only directors.

Bellamont and consortium partners then registered Sizekhaya just days before last year’s February 3 deadline to contest the fourth national lottery licence, according to an amaBhungane report.

The outgoing operator, Ithuba Holdings, reported a R7.28-billion turnover in 2024, according to the report.

Bogatsu and Tembe’s joint involvement adds to widespread fears that the politics of patronage may have intruded on the award process.

WATCH: Paul Mashatile speaking about the National Lottery allegations

WATCH | In an interview on IN THE KNOW with Sowetan, deputy president Paul Mashatile dismissed suggestions of interference in the awarding of the lucrative lotto licence contract to Sizekhaya Holdings.

Catch the full interview on SowetanLIVE's YouTube channel on Thursday.… pic.twitter.com/Snp2W47qBc

— Sowetan LIVE (@SowetanLIVE) June 24, 2025

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Mashatile responds

The awarding of the fourth lottery licence has garnered significant public attention, which has also focused on the apparent political ties of other bidders.

Mashatile argued that Bellamont Gaming, owned and co-owned by Bogatsu and Durban businessman Moses Tembe, who are part of a consortium that was awarded the lucrative lottery licence, was not doing business with the Presidency.

He said it was unfair to question why his relatives were conducting business.

“There are so many people who know me in this country – family, children, cousins and friends. Where must they do business, in Zimbabwe? Out of this country? ” Mashatile asked during an interview with Sowetan on Tuesday.

“They can do business, as long as I’m not involved, not because they know me. Because once you say Mr Mashatile is capable of influencing, even if he is sitting in his house, it’s unfair. You must be able to say he went there to interfere”.

Allegations

Mashatile said only the trade and industry minister, Parks Tau, had the power to choose the winning bidder.

When asked why there were such allegations around him, Mashatile said he doesn’t know.

“There is no way of knowing why people are after me. I do my work, I have been in government for close to 30 years… So, I don’t know where these allegations come from. People just go around picking stuff, and I don’t know what their motive is.

“If I’ve done something wrong, I’ll be the first to accept to say I did something wrong, but if I’ve not, I’m not going to accept that. It doesn’t matter how many times people make allegations”.

Lottery

Tau, announced the award to Sizekhaya on May 28 this year after protracted delays and what he called “this arduous exercise” of evaluating eight applications.

Sizekhaya was competing with seven other bidders, including long-time operator Ithuba. The National Lotteries Commission (NLC), which reports to Tau, helps adjudicate licence bids.

On Tuesday, Tau assured MPs that allegations of conflicts of interest linked to the newly awarded lotto operator licence will be investigated.

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