'Where's the Lotto?'
29/04/2007 13:01  - (SA)  

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No Lotto for about a month No Lotto for about a month Still no Lotto decision Still no Lotto decision Tata ma Lotto? Tata ma Lotto?

Johannesburg - The government has broken its own deadline for resuming the Lotto, said the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Sunday.

DA MP Pierre Rabie, the party's spokesperson on trade and industry, said Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa had promised when suspending the Lotto that it would be operational again within one month.

"Now, one month later, still no progress has been reported," said Rabie.

"If Minister Mpahlwa has any intention of restoring the Lotto to credibility, he needs to step up to his responsibility and outline how and when the clear and swift recovery of the national lottery will be done."

Rabie said Mpahlwa and his department had made and broken several promises around the Lotto after the Pretoria High Court reversed the awarding of the new lottery licence to the Gidani consortium. The court reversed the decision on March 5, saying the process had been flawed.

Mpahlwa announced the suspension of the Lotto on March 31, hours before the Uthingo licence to run it expired.

"First the minister told the press that there would be no suspension of the Lotto," said Rabie.

"His department then told the public that the Lotto would resume 'within days'.

"Finally, at the eleventh hour, the minister did concede that the Lotto would have to be suspended. However, he then stated that it would be operational again within one month."

Rabie said the credibility of the national lottery was being eroded.

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