Build One South Africa (BOSA) has called for full transparency following the announcement that the Gold Rush Consortium is the preferred bidder for the lucrative contract to operate South Africa’s national lottery.
The party is raising red flags over what it describes as potential conflicts of interest and political ties involving individuals connected to the bid evaluation process.
BOSA said it has submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request to obtain the names of all individuals on the adjudication panel, as well as consultants and advisors who played a role in assessing the bids.
“From what is in the public domain, at least two members of the National Lotteries Commission’s bid evaluation committee appear to have links to the consortium: Thiran Marimuthu and Anne-Marie Pooley,” said BOSA’s acting spokesperson, Roger Solomons.
According to BOSA, Marimuthu was present at the consortium’s 25th anniversary celebration, while Pooley is alleged to have a direct financial interest in a venue operating Gold Rush gaming machines and has reportedly become the sole director of the venue.
“These connections, along with Gold Rush’s broader political associations – including Sandile Zungu’s ANC connection suggest the consortium is far from impartial and should be subject to greater scrutiny,” Solomons said.
BOSA has demanded that Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, intervene by releasing:
• The full list of adjudicators and consultants involved in the lottery tender process.
• Any declarations of interest made by these individuals.
• A report to Parliament detailing the evaluation criteria and scoring of each bid.
“South Africans have a right to know whether this process has been conducted above board, or whether it is tainted by insider influence or political interference. We will not allow South Africa’s public resources, or the hopes of the vulnerable communities who depend on lottery funding, to be hijacked by cronyism or corruption,” Solomons added.
POWER News
Source: https://www.power987.co.za/featured/bosa-demands-transparency-over-gold-rush-lottery-bid/
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