The Special Tribunal has frozen a R500,000 pension payout to Sibonelo Vilakazi, a former client liaison officer for the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) in KwaZulu-Natal. He allegedly misused his position to channel tens of millions of rands to himself, and a company controlled by his wife. Vilakazi and his wife, Nosipho Zanele Zuma, are accused of receiving over R31 million from approximately 400 daycare centers and football clubs that were awarded lottery grants between 2019 and 2023.
During this time, Vilakazi served as the NLC’s KwaZulu-Natal client liaison officer. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) obtained a preservation order from the Special Tribunal in Decemiber of the previous year, although the ruling was only made public recently. This order blocks the R500,000 pension payment intended for Vilakazi. In 2024, Vilakazi was dismissed after a disciplinary inquiry by the NLC found him guilty of several charges.
These charges included failing to disclose a conflict of interest and benefiting indirectly from payments made to ZZET Enterprises, a company owned by his wife, from non-profit organizations that had received lottery funding. According to the SIU, the diverted funds were used to purchase vehicles, including two Toyota Quantums and a Toyota Hilux, as well as two properties. The SIU had also previously secured an order to freeze approximately R2.4 million held in four bank accounts linked to both Vilakazi and Zuma.
The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) flagged these transactions as suspicious after FNB reported them under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act. An analysis of ZZET Enterprises’ bank account revealed more than R31 million in payments from various early childhood development centers, crèches, pre-schools, and football clubs all of which had received lottery grants. In many instances, 50% or more of the grant money was paid directly to ZZET.
The transactions also included multiple payments listed as expenses for sports equipment or apparel, which were made through electronic funds transfers, cash deposits, and internet banking. The SIU stated that it will continue to pursue officials who resign or are dismissed during investigations by freezing their pension benefits and initiating civil litigation to recover financial losses suffered by state institutions.
