Celebrities
Minnie Dlamini agrees to repay R50,000 after SIU probe into NLC funds
Media personality and actress Minnie Dlamini has reached a settlement with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to repay money she unlawfully received from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) nearly a decade ago.
The settlement forms part of an ongoing SIU investigation into maladministration and the misuse of NLC funds, an inquiry authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa through Proclamation R32 of 2020.
The probe focuses on irregular grant payments made between January 2014 and November 2020.
According to the SIU, Dlamini was one of several beneficiaries who received funding through the Mshandukani Foundation, a non-profit organisation that acted as a conduit applicant via the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).
The foundation received approximately R24.8 million from the NLC, intended to fund a 2016 Rio Olympic Games Roadshow.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed that Dlamini received R50,000 from the grant in 2016, but the money was not used for its intended purpose.
“Ms. Dlamini has agreed to repay the full amount of R50,000.00 she received in 2016 from the Mshandukani Foundation NPO,” Kganyago said.
The investigation found that funds paid out by the foundation were distributed to various individuals without lawful justification or in violation of the grant agreement.
“These funds were subsequently distributed to several beneficiaries, including Ms. Dlamini, without lawful justification or in contravention of the grant agreement,” the SIU stated.
Kganyago added that the actress cooperated fully with investigators and acknowledged that the money was not legally owed to her.
“Ms. Dlamini has fully cooperated with the SIU investigation and has acknowledged that the funds were not lawfully due to her,” he said.
While Dlamini has not publicly commented on the settlement, the SIU noted that the recovered funds will be returned to the NLC for redistribution to legitimate beneficiaries.
The unit says the matter highlights its commitment to holding all recipients of irregular public funds accountable, regardless of their profile.
The case forms part of a wider crackdown on corruption and mismanagement within the National Lotteries Commission, with the SIU continuing to pursue civil and criminal action against other individuals and entities implicated in the broader scheme.
