Mpahlwa ducks Lotto questions

2007-08-29 16:26

Cape Town - Want to know when you can play the Lotto again? Don't ask Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa - apparently you are not allowed to.

A senior government communications official on Wednesday told reporters they could not ask any questions about the suspended national lottery when Mpahlwa appeared at a briefing.

Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS) chief director, Thabo Masebe, instead told reporters:

"Such announcements (about the Lotto) would be made at an appropriate time."

Masebe, who interrupted a reporter who attempted to slip through a question to the minister about the lottery, said he was simply applying government press briefings rules.

At no stage had Mpahlwa instructed him to stop reporters from asking certain questions.

For several weeks now, Mpahlwa's officials have been telling the media that the minister was on the brink of making an announcement on the Lotto.

No such announcement, however, has been forthcoming.

Mpahlwa suspended the Lotto on March 31, hours before operator Uthingo's licence to run it expired.

The suspension came after the Pretoria High Court reversed the awarding of the new lottery licence to the Gidani consortium on March 5, saying the process had been flawed.

- Sapa

- SAPA