The Democratic Alliance DA wants to know who sat on the national lottery licence bid committees after a company with alleged links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile was awarded the licence.
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau awarded the multibillion-rand licence to Sizekhaya Holdings in May.
One of Sizekhayas shareholders is Bellamont Gaming, whose co-owners and co-directors are KwaZulu-Natal businessman Moses Tembe and Advocate Khutso Bogatsu.
Bogatsu is Mashatiles sister-in-law while Tembe, who is reportedly linked to the African National Congress, is allegedly close to the Deputy President.
Political parties such as the DA and Economic Freedom Fighters have raised concerns of potential conflict of interest. They also questioned Tau during his appearance before Parliaments portfolio committee on trade, industry and competition in June.
DA launches PAIA bid in Sizekhaya lottery licence awardThe DA now says it will launch a Promotion of Access to Information Act PAIA application to obtain the names of members of the lottery licence bid evaluation committee, bid adjudication committee and quality assurance committee.
Only once these names become public can their connections to the contesting bidders be assessed, the partys spokesperson on trade, industry and competition Toby Chance said on Thursday 24 June.
Minister Tau has refused to reveal these names to Parliament's portfolio committee, instead hiding behind his offer to reveal them only during the Ithuba Lottery hearing in the Gauteng High Court where it is contesting the Minister's decision to award the 4th Lotto licence to Sizekhaya Holdings.
A date for this court hearing has not been set and we cannot wait indefinitely to have transparency on who these people are.
The party also wants Tau to report back to the committee on his commitment to initiate an investigation into ties between Bellamont Gaming, Sizekhaya Holdings and the Deputy President's family.