News24.com | JUST IN | Court grants order to freeze another five properties linked to Lotteries corruption

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The National Prosecuting Authority's Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have obtained a preservation order to freeze five properties worth millions of rands linked to their ongoing probe into fraud at the National Lotteries Commission.

The AFU and the SIU obtained a preservation order from the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria last month to freeze three luxury properties, a plot, and a portion of a farm linked to the "siphoning of lotteries grant funding meant for community development projects". 

Their probe found that five non-profit organisations used funding meant to uplift poor communities to buy the properties. 

The NPOs are Taung Culural Music and Arts Expo, the South African Art and Development Association (SAADA), Dinosys, Matieni Community Centre, and Zibsicraft (Pty) Ltd.

Court documents show that the order freezing a "luxury property in Midrand" linked to  SAADA was served on renowned musician Arthur Mafokate. Mafokate is a director of SAADA. Court filings do not say how Mafokate is linked to the property or whether he was involved in seeking funding.

Authorities have been seeking to freeze assets linked to the lotteries body since late 2020, when President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised a probe into allegations of fraud and corruption.

Last year, the SIU notably obtained a preservation order to freeze a R27 million luxury property linked to the former chairperson of the National Lotteries Commission, Professor Alfred Nevhutanda.

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