News

Corruption-riddled Lottery projects incomplete despite promised R65-million

Unfinished projects: a trail of neglect and looting

By GroundUp • 9 February 2026

Despite allocating R65-million over three years ago to complete Lottery-funded projects, the NLC has yet to disburse any funds, leaving numerous facilities unfinished and vulnerable. Many projects, already tainted by corruption and under SIU investigation, are now deteriorating or being illegally repurposed.

By Raymond Joseph

More than three years after the NLC said it had allocated R65-million to incomplete Lottery-funded infrastructure projects, work has yet to begin to get them fit for purpose.

So far, none of the allocated funds has been disbursed for construction work at the affected projects, the NLC told GroundUp.

All the affected projects, from which hundreds of millions of rand were looted, are under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). Most a...