By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has successfully recovered R3.2 million from two companies found to have benefited unduly from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC).
The latest investigations into NLC beneficiaries revealed that money earmarked for media development and soccer clinic was systematically misused.
The unit said on Tuesday it has recovered R1.5 million that was “misappropriated” by the Todi Media Development Foundation in 2018.
Khutso Daniel Makwela, the director of the Todi Media Development Foundation and Zibsiflo NPC, signed an Acknowledgement of Debt and returned the full amount on 30 March 2026 after investigations exposed a systematic diversion of public money into private assets.
The probe into Todi Media revealed that a R1.5 million grant earmarked for journalists’ accommodation and equipment was instead channelled to private companies.
R900,000 was traced to Black Dungaree, a firm directed by Daniel Matome Malatjie, which used the funds to purchase a residential property in Bassonia Rock, Johannesburg.
A further R550,000 was diverted to Unscripted Communication, directed by Makhudu Sefara, who is the editor of Sunday Times and Chairperson of South African National Editors Forum (SANEF).
Fullview learnt that Sefara has been placed on special leave following lottery-related wrongdoing.
In 2021 the NLC spent 46% of its media budget on Sunday World. Whereas the paper had an average weekly circulation of less than 32,000. By comparison, the Sunday Times, with an average weekly circulation of more than 117,000, got about 1% of the NLC’s media spend, as did Media24, despite News24 being the largest. Over three years, from 2020 to 2022, Sunday World received R24.7-million from the NLC for adverts. No reasonable explanation was offered for the unjustified amounts.
Sefara edited Sunday World in 2019 and 2020. He had previously served as spokesperson for fugitive Self-proclaimed Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, and editor of The Star and Sunday Independent. After Sunday World, he joined TimesLive, now with Sunday Times.
In a parallel scheme involving Zibsiflo NPC, the NLC awarded R1.71 million for women’s football clinics in the Free State.
SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho highlighted the importance of these recoveries in maintaining the integrity of public institutions.
Makgotho stated that this recovery demonstrates the SIU’s commitment to protecting public funds, noting that money meant to empower communities was instead diverted into private enrichment schemes.
Following these findings, the SIU has confirmed it is legally obligated to refer the gathered evidence to the relevant authorities for criminal prosecution.