The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the resignation of the CEO of the National Lotteries Board (NLB), Mr Vevek Ram. Mr Ram's letter of resignation was officially received and accepted by the NLB this morning.

This is a step in the right direction. Mr Ram presided over a prolonged period of mismanagement and administrative chaos. In the last year especially, the NLB has begun operating increasingly like an ANC slush fund even as deserving charities and NGOs struggled to access funding.

Clearly, much more needs to change, though. The distribution agencies and NLB have been stacked with ANC cadres for some time. Many of these people need to be replaced with individuals who have the relevant expertise.

The DA will propose a full reform package next week to lay out what steps need to be taken to clean up the NLB.

Before a fundamental transformation can take place, the current management will have to be replaced. A forensic audit into all grants allocated in the last three years is also a vital requirement.

The results of the NLB's current approach are clear:  COSATU, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and an NGO employing the NLB chairperson's daughter have received millions in grants with the utmost ease.

This is in the context of thousands of deserving charities and NGOs struggling to access funding. In the last year alone, roughly 6 000 funding applications from NGOs and charities have not even been processed.

This situation is unacceptable. The DA will do everything in its power to advocate for the necessary changes to be made.

Statement issued by Jacques Smalle MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, January 20 2012

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