Assets frozen over lotto graft

Frustration mounts at slow pace of prosecutions.

- Raymond Joseph

Two luxury homes, a property in an upmarket estate, a poultry farm and a Hilux SUV, all allegedly bought with funds siphoned from lottery grants, have been frozen by a preservation order granted by the High Court in Pretoria.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Asset Forfeiture Unit were granted the orders after an ex parte - without the other parties present - hearing by high court Judge Aubrey Ledwaba on 24 July, 2024. This was only made public on Wednesday.

The SIU has handed the dockets of its investigations into all these grants, as well as many others, to the Hawks to investigate.

But while millions in misappropriated properties, cars and other assets have been frozen because of the SIU's investigations, there is frustration at the slow pace of investigations by the SA Police Service and the Hawks into the looting of the lottery, and prosecutions by the National Prosecuting Authority of those involved.

So far, only one person has been successfully prosecuted and two men have appeared in court in connection with misappropriated lottery funds.

The latest order has frozen: A luxury home in Ekurhuleni co-owned by Ngwedzeni Moudy Mudzielwana and Phindile Garish Mudzielwana;

►A property in Sable Hills in Pretoria registered to the Malwandla Siweya Family Trust, represented by trustee Malwandla Solly Siweya;