By Johnathan Paoli
The Trade, Industry and Competition department has confirmed that National Lotteries Commission (NLC) Board Chairperson Barney Pityana will retire at the end of 2025 after steering the organisation through a turbulent period marked by corruption scandals, governance reforms and heightened public scrutiny.
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau announced on Tuesday that he had formally received Pityana’s request last month to retire with effect from 1 December this year, dismissing speculation that the veteran academic and cleric had abruptly resigned.
“This process was misinterpreted as a resignation. As the Executive Authority, I fully accept his retirement request, and a proper process will unfold with immediate effect to fill the vacancy of NLC Board chairperson. To ensure business continuity, Prof Pityana will continue to serve in his role steering the strategic and governance responsibilities of the Commission until 31 December 2025,” Tau said.
Pityana, who joined the NLC on 1 August 2022, was appointed in terms of the National Lotteries Act following years of damaging revelations about fraud and mismanagement at the state entity.
His tenure coincided with the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) ongoing probe into billions of rands lost to corruption, much of it linked to the Commission’s controversial “proactive funding” model.
Since his appointment, Pityana has been credited with restoring a measure of stability and accountability to an institution long synonymous with irregularities.
Working with the NLC board and senior management, he spearheaded governance reforms, introduced new oversight systems, and sought to rebuild public trust.
Among his achievements were a comprehensive review of 95% of organisational policies, including grant funding, supply chain management, and performance evaluation, ensuring alignment with public finance regulations.
Pityana facilitated a new grant management system integrated with external verification bodies such as the CIPC, SARS, and the Home Affairs department.
Mandatory site visits and monitoring of funded projects were introduced, while funding priorities shifted toward urgent social issues such as gender-based violence, food security, and youth employment.
Under his watch, the board approved R100 million to sustain HIV/AIDS and TB programmes amid international funding shortfalls, alongside R14.6 million in flood relief for the Western Cape and R10 million to the Eastern Cape.
He established a whistleblower hotline, lifestyle audit policy, and an ethics framework were established, with a forensic audit unit investigating high-risk cases and fraud matters referred for recovery and criminal proceedings.
The NLC secured an unqualified audit opinion for the 2024/25 financial year, a key indicator of improved governance.
Tau praised the outgoing chairperson’s leadership.
“His leadership has helped to position the NLC as a public entity committed to transformation, compliance, and service delivery excellence. His continued stewardship is invaluable during this critical period of transition within the National Lottery sector, including the appointment of a temporary licensee and the pending launch of the Fourth National Lottery Licence,” he said.
Despite Tau’s assurances of a managed transition, opposition parties previously raised concerns about delays in appointing Pityana’s successor.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) urged Tau to move swiftly to prevent a governance vacuum.
DA spokesperson Toby Chance warned against a repeat of the lengthy process under former minister Ebrahim Patel, who took 18 months to replace disgraced former NLC chair Alfred Nevhutanda.
“The appointment process to find his successor will require the portfolio committee on trade, industry and competition to scrutinise the submitted names and compile a shortlist from which Tau must make his decision,” Chance said.
He called on Pityana to ensure that R20 million earmarked for reparations to whistleblowers and former employees targeted by malicious litigation is paid out before his departure.
Pityana’s own appointment in 2022 was the product of a protracted political and legal tussle between Ebrahim Patel, the former minister, and the NLC board.
Ultimately, Parliament shortlisted several candidates, with Pityana emerging as a compromise figure.
Together with NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz, appointed in 2023, he has sought to steer the entity through structural reform, though public confidence remains fragile.
Allegations of rigged lottery draws, circulated on social media, continue to undermine credibility, despite firm denials by both the NLC and its operator, Ithuba.
Pityana will step down officially on 31 December 2025, closing a three-year chapter in which he attempted to rehabilitate one of South Africa’s most troubled state institutions.
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