Music mogul Arthur Mafokate is the latest celebrity to be fingered in the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) fraud scandal. This follows the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) implicating Oscar award-winning actress Terry Pheto in fraud allegations relating to funding by the National Lotteries Commission. SIU was granted a preservation order by the high court in November2022 to freeze Pheto's three-storey home which was allegedly built using R3million of lottery grant money meant for an "initiation programme'.
PROPERTIES FROZEN
The properties frozen include Mafokate's luxury property in Midrand, a Cape Town property belonging to former National Lotteries Commission( NCL) legal representative Lesley Ramulifho, former NLC board member William Huma's farm in Rustenburg, NLC legal division head Tsietsi Maselwa's luxury property in Pretoria and a plot in Pretoria belonging to former Lotto boss Alfred Nevhutanda. The Prevention of Organised Crime (POCA) Act 121 of 1998, stipulates that if an order has been granted, people are not required to sell or interfere with the property which may diminish its value.
NPOs INVOLVED
In a statement on Friday, the SIU said five non-profit organisations received funding of about R56 million for community development projects. One of the organisations, South African Art and Development Association linked to kwaito legend Arthur Mafokate, applied for grant fundingto assist unemployed youth in the poor and rural areas to impact skills in music, business video, film production and dance. The non-profit organisations(NPOs) that are alleged to have syphoned off lotteries grant funding meant for community development projects are:Taung Cultural Music and Arts Expo; SouthAfrican Art and Development Association (Saada); Dinosys; Matieni Community Centre; and Zibsicraft (Pty) Ltd. ZiMoja understands that the whistle-blower had reported the matter to law enforcement agencies, but was ignored until the matter was reported to the Presidency. The 54-year-old Mafokate is still mum on the allegations.
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