More legal battles to be fought over lottery contract

Igwija, a consortium led by businesswoman Danisa Boloyi, is to take the National Lottery Board to court to force it to provide documentation showing how Gidani was chosen as the preferred bidder, says a Mail & Guardian Online report. This follows last week’s Pretoria High Court judgment overturning Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa’s decision to award the Gidani consortium the licence. And Gidani’s acting CE, Bongani Khumalo, said his consortium was considering appealing against the ruling. Igwija, which came third in the bidding, said it would capitalise on the shortfalls of both Uthingo and Gidani to press its claim. Muzi Makhaya, one of Igwija’s founders, said the judgment was a major boost for his consortium. ‘Our case will be based on what is now a precedent. The National Lottery Act is very clear that, if you are found to have wrong people, your application will be rejected. ‘The minister said Uthingo was wrong to have Education Minister Naledi Pandor as one of its shareholders and that Gidani was wrong to have ANC politicians as shareholders. This automatically qualifies us as the preferred bidder.’ Full Mail & Guardian Online report