Lottery licence awarded to Sizekhaya Holdings

Consortium led by prominent KZN businessmen

- BANELE GININDZA AND THAMI MAGUBANE

MINISTER of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau has named Sizekhaya Holdings, a consortium partly owned by gambling company Goldrush, as the operator of the National Lottery for the next eight years.

The announcement came after Gauteng High Court Judge Sulet Potterill ordered Tau to announce the bidder by May 28 and declared the decision to issue a temporary licence unconstitutional. However, to prevent lottery ticket sales from halting, Judge Potterill suspended the order for five months, allowing a temporary licence to be awarded for that period.

Sizekhaya is led by prominent KwaZulu-Natal businessmen Moses Tembe and Sandile Zungu, the owner of AmaZulu Football Club.

Speaking to The Mercury last night, Tembe said the lottery under Sizekhaya would be "bigger, better and exciting".

"As chairman of Sizekhaya, I can confirm that we will use this opportunity to generate jobs and stimulate the economy. We're bringing in best-in-class technology never seen in our country."

Tembe is a prominent businessman and is co-chairperson of the KZN Growth Coalition. A website detailing the top KZN business people notes that he founded Bellamont Investments and the Bellamont Group of Companies.