Special Investigating Unit welcomes Special Tribunal judgement against former NLC Chief Risk Officer

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) welcomes the judgment delivered by the Special Tribunal which dismissed the application by former National Lotteries Commission (NLC) Chief Risk Officer, Marubini Livingstone Ramatsekisa, to release R1.2 million of his R1.4 million from his preserved pension fund for a living and legal expenses claim.

The 18 March 2025 judgment upholds the preservation order obtained by the SIU on 12 December 2023, ensuring that the funds remain secured pending the finalisation of civil recovery proceedings.

In her ruling, the President of the Special Tribunal, Judge Margaret Victor, found that Ramatsekisa failed to make a full and frank disclosure of his financial situation while pleading poverty and claiming financial hardship, he withheld critical information about his assets, including his luxury home in the affluent Blue Valley Golf Estate in Midrand. He did not disclose rental income from multiple properties, nor did he adequately explain the sale of a property during the proceedings. The Tribunal also noted that he failed to submit bank statements that could have provided transparency regarding his financial position.

Furthermore, Ramatsekisa claimed that the interdict against him brought about financial difficulties in his life. However, the evidence that the SIU submitted revealed that Ramatsekisa’s financial difficulties predated the preservation order.
The Tribunal ruled that releasing the funds would prejudice the state’s ability to recover the misappropriated money, which is pending the SIU’s finalisation of an application to be brought against him.

The Tribunal dismissed Ramatsekisa's application and ordered him to pay costs, including legal fees. However, a 12-month deferment on payment was granted due to his claimed financial hardship. The judgment emphasised that Ramatsekisa was not forthcoming about his financial situation and was reluctant to sell his properties to meet his financial obligations, which further weakened his case.

This ruling comes after the SIU’s investigation uncovered evidence linking Ramatsekisa to the misappropriation of approximately R4 million from the NLC through an elaborate scheme designed to divert grant funding. He was allegedly a key player in facilitating improper transactions, which resulted in significant financial loss to the state.

This is the second time the Special Tribunal has dismissed the application by Ramatsekisa. On 23 January 2025, the Special Tribunal dismissed his application to overturn an order it gave to interdict his pension fund from paying out his benefits. The SIU was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa in terms of Proclamation R32 of 2020 to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of NLC and the conduct of NLC officials and to recover any financial losses suffered by the State. 

The order of the Special Tribunal is part of implementing SIU investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover financial losses suffered by State institutions because of corruption or negligence. The SIU is empowered to institute a civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during investigations caused by corruption, fraud, or maladministration. In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU refers any evidence pointing to criminal conduct it uncovers to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action. 

Enquiries:
Kaizer Kganyago 
Spokesperson: Special Investigating Unit 
Cell: 082 306 8888
E-mail: Kkganyago@siu.org.za