The lottery funded old age home in Marapyane, Mpumalanga, remains unfinished and is under steady looting, as the local community battles to protect it. Despite their efforts, residents say they are fighting a losing battle against theft and vandalism. The National Lotteries Commission (NLC), which provided the funding, says it cannot intervene directly. “We are a funding body and, under the current project model, do not manage security on-site after funds are disbursed,” the NLC stated.
The commission noted that incidents like this highlight the importance of its newly established Community Infrastructure Reparations Process, designed to resolve abandoned and incomplete projects. The old-age home is one of more than a dozen lottery-funded initiatives left incomplete after millions of rands intended for construction were misappropriated. Community members have recovered some stolen materials, but the problem persists.
The home sits near the luxury property of former NLC chief operating officer Phillemon Letwaba, who resigned in 2022 just before he was due to face disciplinary action over allegations of enriching himself and his family using his position. Since 2017, the NLC has allocated nearly R37.8-million for the Marapyane home through the Matieni Community Centre, a non-profit that was reportedly hijacked. Yet the home has never been operational.
Last year, local residents started a grassroots effort to finish the project. A newly formed non-profit, Tlhabo Ya Letsatsi, has applied for a R16.7-million grant from the NLC to complete construction. The funding would cover electrical and plumbing work, interior finishes, kitchen equipment, and furniture, including beds. The tribal council, which owns the land, has granted Tlhabo Ya Letsatsi permission to occupy the property.
Representatives of the organization have also applied to the Department of Social Development for an operating licence to officially run the home. Investigations revealed that some of the money intended for the old-age home was diverted to Letwaba’s luxury residence nearby. Leaked bank statements for Upbrand Properties, linked to Letwaba and his family, show payments for materials, labor, and equipment that were originally intended for Marapyane and other lottery-funded old-age homes.
The statements include payments for roofing, décor, landscaping, fencing, paving, waterproofing, and even CCTV security, with some transactions labeled “Marapyane house.” Within a week of a R20-million NLC grant in 2017, R5-million was reportedly redirected to cover legal fees for a property purchase by former NLC board member William Huma.
The NLC says the old-age home is in a reasonably complete state and has strong potential for sustainable community use. A decision on its future will follow an engineer’s report assessing the cost of completion. Any further allocation of funds will be guided by the Community Infrastructure Reparations Process, the commission said.
