Alarm as Hawks’ official ‘gets R3m from Lotto’

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has expressed its concern after the Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi allegedly received R3 million from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) while the Hawks were dealing with a corruption case within the commission.

The NLC have come nothing of short with controversy after multiple cases of corruption, maladministration and nepotism were uncovered.

In a statement on Tuesday, DA MP Mat Cuthbert said the Hangwani Mulaudzi Foundation – which was founded in 2017 – had received the money from the NLC in order to build a sports centre in Mashamba, Limpopo.

Cuthbert said the sports centre, which would comprise a block of toilets, an office and a change room facility, a borehole with running taps, and fencing, would be handed to the community in three months’ time as reported by Limpopo Mirror.

He further said the DA had an internal NLC document which confirmed the name of the beneficiary, the amount disbursed and the date of payment.

“While the DA is supportive of initiatives that aim to develop our rural towns and villages, one has to question the fact that a senior member of the Hawks has received such funding from the NLC,” Cuthbert said.

“This is because the department of trade, industry and competition has recently handed over evidence related to Denzhe Primary Care scandal to the Hawks to investigate.

“There is no doubt that this is a clear conflict of interest which has the potential to derail the entire investigation into large-scale looting at the NLC.”

Cuthbert added that the DA would write to Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel and Police Minister Bheki Cele to determine if the ministers were aware of the R3 million disbursement at the time.

“Also whether or not they deem it to be a conflict of interest,” he said.

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