controversy after her name recently surfaced in the ongoing investigation into corruption at the National Lotteries Commission (NLC).
An investigation by GroundUp has uncovered an alleged scheme where the NLC utilised service providers to funnel millions of rands to third-party suppliers it handpicked, bypassing its supply management system and concealing the true source of the funds.
COCONUT KELZ NAMED IN NLC STORY ABOUT FRAUD
According to GroundUp, the NLC instructed companies to engage and remunerate service providers without any input into their selection process.
Consequently, many of these payments have been flagged as unauthorised expenditures by the Auditor-General.
Notably, ProEthics, a company that received over R28.4 million from the NLC between 2019 and 2022, served as a conduit for channelling funds to various suppliers.
In another instance, Digital Dynasty invoiced ProEthics for R100 000 to secure Tlhabi’s participation as a panellist at an NLC ethics event.
Responding to The South African, Tlhabi said: “This is about an event I MC’d [sic] in 2021. The normal procedure is they contact my manager and they agree on a rate depending on my rate card, hours, and work required. I did the event as an MC, and that was the extent of my involvement with this company.”
According to a marketer with experience in booking influencers and social media personalities for speaking engagements, R100 000 is above average, with “R25,000 to R30,000” being the usual rate for a panel booking, “inclusive of them posting about it”.
NEW LEADERSHIP UNVEILS RAMPANT CORRUPTION WITHIN NLC
This revelation comes amid a backdrop of rampant fraud and corruption that plagued the NLC under its previous board and management.
While the new leadership has been striving to restore integrity to the organisation, the scale of malfeasance uncovered by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is staggering.
The SIU reported that it had completed 90% of the second phase of its investigation into the NLC, which is estimated to involve a total of R1.4 billion in funds lost due to corruption.
Among the NLC cases that have been widely publicised are: