Celebrity Tangled in Controversy: SIU Investigation Reveals Questionable Dealings in NLC Grant Fund Misuse

The National Lotteries Commission’s (NLC) financial assistance program has come under scrutiny with South African actress Terry Pheto, her sister Dimakatso, and fashion designer Thula Sindi at the center of a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe. The investigation, focusing on a misdirected R1.4 billion in funds, has uncovered a concerning narrative of a grant supposed to empower a community turning into a tale of deceit and misappropriation.

In December 2018, the NLC approved a generous R5 million grant for Zibisibix Non-Profit Company to develop a chicken farm with the noble goal of supporting local communities. But instead of agribusiness flourishing, evidence suggests that the funds were siphoned off into various accounts, with payments being traced to Black Planet Trading, a company directed by Thula Sindi, receiving R140,000. It was also revealed that the farm, valued and initially offered at R3.8 million, was sold under mysterious circumstances for a mere R850,000 amidst allegations involving the formers NLC board chairperson Professor Alfred Nevhutanda.

Upon examination, the supposed beneficiary of this transaction was none other than Dimakatso Pheto, sister of the famed actress. However, the farm’s current state paints a lackluster picture in stark contrast to its intended purpose. An inspection by The Star’s team showed a neglected property: walls deteriorated, overgrown greenery, and a derelict abattoir, all signs pointing to abandonment rather than agricultural productivity.

The saga takes a more scandalous twist with the previous owner's claim of trickery and deceit. Anticipating a R3.8m sale to a Pastor Radebe, the owner instead found himself entangled in a swiftly brokered, undervalued sale orchestrated by a family friend posing as an estate agent. The signed blank offer to purchase, a leap of trust, led to his property slipping away for a fraction of its worth. The pastor's bid, it seems, was discarded for this unforeseen, yet legally binding, agreement. In a bid to rectify this perceived injustice, the former owner is turning to the high court, seeking to reverse the sale that has left him disenchanted and at a substantial financial loss.

The layers of this controversy continue to unfold as Pheto and Sindi remain unreachable, with further attempts to contact Dimakatso going unanswered. Past responses from Sindi have refuted any allegations, citing his association with the case as collateral in a smear campaign. Nonetheless, the SIU investigation continues to bring to light the concerning practices associated with the distribution and usage of grant funds meant for the public good.

Amid these unsettling developments, the community, which was to be the beneficiary of the chicken farm project, is left wanting, with the failure to establish a functional agribusiness symbolizing a deeper rot within certain custodial systems. As the investigation proceeds, speculations abound, with potential legal repercussions for those implicated in the unraveling scandal.