Latest news with #BellamontGaming
Eyewitness News
04-07-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Some opposition parties reject DTIC's budget over multi-billion rand lottery operator licence
CAPE TOWN - Some opposition parties have rejected the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition's budget over the multi-billion rand lottery operator licence. Parties have raised questions over new operator Sizekhaya Holdings's alleged links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile's sister-in-law. The conflict was exposed by amaBhungane, which revealed that one of the co-owners of Bellamont Gaming was the twin sister of Mashatile's wife. ALSO READ:• Incoming lottery operator Sizekhaya Holdings commits to giving IP to govt once licence expires • Some opposition parties want Minister Tau to publicly disclose details of Sizekhaya Holdings, National Lottery contract • Newly-awarded national lottery licence operator Sizekhaya Holdings' ties to ANC questioned • KZN businessman Tembe denies claims of 'cronyism' after Sizekhaya secures lottery licence Opposition MPs used Friday's budget debate to condemn the perceived conflict of interest, with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calling the lottery the African National Congress's 'cash cow'.
TimesLIVE
29-06-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
'No politicians influenced lotto deal' — Tembe
Businessman Moses Tembe, who is part of a consortium that was awarded the lucrative lotto licence contract, says there was no political influence or impropriety in the process. Tembe said neither deputy president Paul Mashatile nor any other political entity or individual had a financial interest — directly or indirectly — in their bid. 'We have indicated previously that Sizekhaya [Holdings] won the right to operate the fourth national lottery licence because of the strength of our bid, the deep knowledge of gaming that we bring to the table, our pledge to propel the lottery to new heights by generating more money for the government, for good causes and for players,' he said. Mashatile's statement on Sunday comes just days after he dismissed suggestions of political interference in the awarding of the contract in an interview on Sowetan's new podcast, IN THE KNOW with Sowetan, saying only trade and industry minister Parks Tau had the power to choose the winning bidder. amaBhungane, an investigative journalism organisation reported that Sizekhaya had links with the deputy president. Bellamont Gaming, a company owned by Tembe and Mashatile's wife's sister, Khumo Bogatsu, has shares in Sizekhaya. amaBhungane reported that Bellamont Gaming was registered in December 2023, just nine months after Mashatile married Bogatsu's sister. Together with their consortium partners, they established Sizekhaya Holdings shortly before the February 2024 bidding deadline for the lottery licence. Tembe denied Bellamont Gaming ever discussed the bid with Mashatile.
News24
28-06-2025
- Business
- News24
Ties that bind: Inside Mashatile's inner circle behind SA's new lottery operator
Photographs and footage reveal the close personal relationships behind the company that clinched the multibillion-rand lotto licence and its links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile. They provide insight into the powerful people who orbit the deputy president, with a new name surfacing: former Adapt IT CEO Sbu Shabalala. Following amaBhungane's reporting, MPs put the heat on Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau, asking him to account for possible conflicts of interest in the licence-bidding process and award. A cache of pictures and videos show the cosy ties between Deputy President Paul Mashatile and the inner circle behind the new lottery operator, Sizekhaya Holdings. It also introduces a key new figure linking them: Sbu Shabalala, the disgraced former Adapt IT chief executive. AmaBhungane understands that Shabalala is engaged to Khumo Bogatsu, Mashatile's sister-in-law, and is also the cousin of Moses Tembe, the Durban businessman who leads Sizekhaya. Earlier this week, amaBhungane revealed that Bogatsu is the twin sister of second lady Humile Mashatile and co-owns Bellamont Gaming with Tembe. Bellamont Gaming is a shareholder in Sizekhaya Holdings, which has received the nod from Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau to take over the national lottery licence, which is valid for eight years and generates about R7 billion annually. amaBhungane Shabalala is believed to be a key person helping knit together the politically connected group, which includes Sandile Zungu, a prominent member of Sizekhaya who reportedly co-leads the consortium with Tembe. Shabalala's presence is also controversial because of his spectacular fall from grace and departure from Adapt IT in 2021 following a violent incident at his estranged wife's home. He did not respond to questions. Power video The group's proximity to power is most strikingly demonstrated in a video circulated online around March 2025 - three months before the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) announced Sizekhaya as the winning bidder. The video captures the group, minus Zungu, at what appears to be a holiday gathering at an upscale resort. The scene is relaxed and familiar: Tembe in a crisp white shirt, his wife in jeans and a white shirt, Shabalala in a black shirt and shorts, Bogatsu in a sun hat and white blouse, Mrs Mashatile sipping a bottle of water and the deputy president caught dancing. Deputy President Paul Mashatile taking a break from his demanding duties to spend quality time with family and friends. — MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) March 15, 2025 Other photos, which we'll detail, place members of the group - including Zungu, Mashatile and their spouses - in each other's company at various personal and private events. The visuals are significant, not because powerful people have friends, but because these friendships sit at the nexus of a major public tender worth billions, raising questions about proximity, access and influence. In this regard, state capture amply demonstrated the potential sway of informal networks over formal decision-making. The visuals add to concerns about the potential for political interference in the award of the hotly contested lottery licence, despite both Tau and Mashatile emphasising this week that the deputy president played no role whatsoever in the lottery decision. In a response to amaBhungane, Sizekhaya said: 'The questions put forward to advocate Bogatsu, Mr Tembe, and Mr Zungu are irrelevant to the award and operation of the fourth national lottery licence and, as such, Sizekhaya is unable to respond to them. Sizekhaya added: Sizekhaya reiterates that the allegations relating to 'interested, politically connected parties' are baseless, and that our directors and shareholders are fit and proper, as per the Lotteries Act. Tembe told amaBhungane he did not believe any answer they gave would ever satisfy the 'insatiable appetite to incriminate' Mashatile: 'We're private individuals who've got private lives like you… You're welcome to continue down that trajectory without our cooperation.' He maintained that they had submitted all necessary declarations to the NLC and that the consortium won the bid on merit. Fallout Following amaBhungane's reporting, MPs grilled Tau during a committee meeting on Tuesday about Mashatile's possible conflicts of interest. Tau indicated he had been unaware that the deputy president's sister-in-law had an interest in Sizekhaya and said the matter would be investigated. Mashatile also later claimed he was unaware of Bogatsu's participation in the lottery bid. Then, in a shocking turn of events, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday that he had decided to remove Deputy Trade Industry and Competition Minister Andrew Whitfield, a DA member. Whitfield's firing was allegedly due to his official overseas visit in February, which took place without Ramaphosa's permission. A furious DA gave Ramaphosa 48 hours to remove other poor-performing and corruption-implicated ministers, threatening 'consequences' if he did not. In a speech on Thursday, DA leader John Steenhuisen told Parliament that 'perhaps there is something even deeper at play here… Andrew Whitfield … had opposed an attempt to make suspect appointments; he was standing in the way of the looting that will follow from the Transformation Fund - and all of this in a department mired in corruption allegations involving the tender for the national lottery.' In a statement on Friday, Ramaphosa said Whitfield's firing was unrelated to anything else other than his trip. 'There is really no basis for suggestions that the dismissal of the former deputy minister is related to any other reason than his failure to receive permission to travel and adhere to the rules and established practices expected of members of the executive of the Republic of South Africa,' he said. Shabalala's rise and fall For Shabalala - whose engagement to Bogatsu appears to have given him direct access to Mashatile - being included in the deputy president's circle provides him with a comeback after his dramatic fall from grace. In May 2021, the Sunday Times reported that Shabalala's estranged wife, Neo Shabalala, sought a High Court interdict against him, claiming he had hired armed men to assault her then-partner, Sipho Nzuza, at her Zimbali home. Nzuza was eThekwini's city manager but was at the time out on bail of R50 000 after being arrested in connection with the now notorious Durban Solid Waste case, where he is still on trial alongside former mayor Zandile Gumede. ALSO READ | amaBhungane: Who went to Paris with Paul? Tenderpreneur joined Mashatile's France-SA business trip The Sunday Times report said Nzuza had been left in critical condition after the attack and had his spleen and part of a kidney removed. Neo claimed in her affidavit that the assault - at which Shabalala was allegedly present - was meant to intimidate her into signing a divorce settlement that she believed was for less than what she was entitled to. She claimed Shabalala was invading her privacy by planting listening devices in her home and monitoring her cellphone. Neo said: I do not feel safe in the slightest with the first respondent [Shabalala] being near me or entering the immovable property. Although Shabalala maintained his innocence, saying the allegations were without merit, he consented to the interdict, and the fallout resulted in his fall from grace. After taking a three-month leave of absence to 'attend to personal matters', he resigned from Adapt IT, the feisty tech company he founded and took to a listing on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. 'We are coming home' - and bringing friends In growing closer to Mashatile through Bogatsu, Shabalala is said to have also brought his cousin, Tembe, into enhanced proximity. Tembe co-directs and co-owns Bellamont Gaming with Bogatsu, the twin sister of Mashatile's wife, Humile. The company is a minority shareholder in Sizekhaya, and it is central to questions about a conflict of interest for the deputy president. The company's name, Sizekhaya - which translates to 'we are coming home' - seems apt for a group bound not only by business but also by longstanding personal relationships. Aside from the revealing video, the group also appeared together in a photo previously published by amaBhungane. The photo was taken at St Paul's Anglican Church in February 2024, where they gathered to honour victims of a bus crash following the ANC's manifesto launch at Moses Mabhida Stadium. While the published photo focused on Tembe, Mashatile and his wife in the front row, a closer look reveals Shabalala standing behind them to the right and a partially obscured woman, who may be Bogatsu, to his left, just behind the red jacket. Supplied That year, Mashatile had frequented Tembe's home in uMdloti, KwaZulu-Natal, according to people in the area, and around the time the photo was taken it is said that Mashatile's presidential protection unit stayed over at Tembe's house for around six days. Coincidentally or not, Bellamont Gaming was registered just months before that visit, in December 2023 - four months after the NLC published the request for proposal for the licence and just two months before bids were due. In that month, Zungu was seemingly celebrating a special moment with Tembe, and a photo shared to his WhatsApp story shows the pair allegedly holding Zungu's baby girl. Supplied Miami and milestones 2023 was also the year that Shabalala and Bogatsu allegedly celebrated their own milestone - their alleged engagement in August in Miami. Tembe and Reggie Kukama - a well-known friend and associate of Mashatile's - as well as Kukama's son were allegedly there to witness the special occasion. Supplied Kukama and Mashatile are members of the so-called 'Alex Mafia', a group of successful businessmen and politicians who hail from Alexandra in Johannesburg. More pictures from the same year show Shabalala and Bogatsu arm-in-arm with Zungu and his wife, Nozipho. Supplied Supplied Another image shows the alleged couple with a close friend at a lunch hosted for the group. Another shows Bogatsu and Shabalala alongside the ANC's Tony Yengeni in an intimate lunch setting. On 2 February 2024, the day before the lottery bids were due, Shabalala, Bogatsu, Tembe and his wife, Princess Ntandoyesizwe Tembe (formerly Zulu), were photographed at the opening of the Anele Tembe Library at Durban Girls' College. Supplied It was a special occasion for Tembe as a grieving father. Anele died in 2001 after falling from a balcony in the presence of her then-fiancé, rapper Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes. Forbes died two years later after being shot in Durban. 'Not enough to buy an aeroplane' In response to amaBhungane's questions, Tembe dismissed questions about his relationships as an 'invasion of privacy and humiliating'. He said in his various positions, he met 'almost all leaders across the political spectrum in their home and my home'. 'It's my duty to share notes on all issues that impact business and to influence them to inculcate and live Godly values. None of them [across the political spectrum] would ever say I discussed personal interests.' Mashatile, Tembe added, had no financial interest in Sizekhaya's bid, saying the bid was never discussed with Mashatile and confirmed his shareholding in Sizekhaya, but he claimed that it was 'insignificant' and 'much less than 10%'. 'The NLC takes the biggest chunk of the top line and winnings even higher. No shareholder would make money to buy an aeroplane.' Political alignment Tau and Mashatile have also risen through the political ranks together. From December 2000, Tau served as a member of the mayoral committee in Johannesburg for various portfolios until 2009, when he was elected to the Gauteng ANC provincial executive committee. From 1994 until 2009, around this time, Mashatile served as MEC in various portfolios, also in Gauteng. From 2007 to 2017, Mashatile served as provincial chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng and from 2011 to 2016 - the same period - Tau served as mayor of Johannesburg. Parliamentary grilling Tau maintained in a parliamentary portfolio committee meeting this week that the process of awarding the licence to Sizekhaya Holdings was fair but said he would go back and investigate allegations of a conflict of interest between the deputy president and his sister-in-law. He said: Fit and proper is a continuous process. There are allegations that have been raised in the media. 'We have looked at those allegations, and we will look at them because they are specific allegations; you cannot ignore them. It would be irresponsible of us to ignore what has been raised in the public domain by investigative journalists in the media and so on.' Tau added that the department would get appropriate advice on whether the deputy president's relationship constitutes a conflict of interest, political affiliation and any other considerations. AmaBhungane sent questions to Mashatile's office regarding the allegations, but he had not responded by the time of publication. The story will be updated if a comment is received.
The Citizen
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Paul Mashatile denies family tied to multibillion-rand lottery deal
Mashatile is accused of political interference in the awarding of a lucrative fourth national lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings. Deputy President Paul Mashatile has denied suggestions of political interference in the awarding of a lucrative national lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings. Among Sizekhaya's shareholders is Bellamont Gaming, a company co-owned and co-directed by Khumo Bogatsu and Moses Tembe, the KwaZulu-Natal businessman who chairs Sizekhaya. Bogatsu is the twin sister of Humile Mashatile, the deputy president's wife. 'Printing money' Sizekhaya landed the lucrative licence to operate South Africa's national lottery for eight years. Bellamont Gaming was registered nine months later, in December 2023, with Tembe and Bogatsu as its founding and only directors. Bellamont and consortium partners then registered Sizekhaya just days before last year's February 3 deadline to contest the fourth national lottery licence, according to an amaBhungane report. The outgoing operator, Ithuba Holdings, reported a R7.28-billion turnover in 2024, according to the report. Bogatsu and Tembe's joint involvement adds to widespread fears that the politics of patronage may have intruded on the award process. WATCH Paul Mashatile speaking about the National Lottery allegations WATCH | In an interview on IN THE KNOW with Sowetan, deputy president Paul Mashatile dismissed suggestions of interference in the awarding of the lucrative lotto licence contract to Sizekhaya Holdings. Catch the full interview on SowetanLIVE's YouTube channel on Thursday.… — Sowetan LIVE (@SowetanLIVE) June 24, 2025 ALSO READ: 'Acquittal' of Mashatile's VIP officers a 'miscarriage of justice' Mashatile responds The awarding of the fourth lottery licence has garnered significant public attention, which has also focused on the apparent political ties of other bidders. Mashatile argued that Bellamont Gaming, owned and co-owned by Bogatsu and Durban businessman Moses Tembe, who are part of a consortium that was awarded the lucrative lottery licence, was not doing business with the Presidency. He said it was unfair to question why his relatives were conducting business. 'There are so many people who know me in this country – family, children, cousins and friends. Where must they do business, in Zimbabwe? Out of this country? ' Mashatile asked during an interview with Sowetan on Tuesday. 'They can do business, as long as I'm not involved, not because they know me. Because once you say Mr Mashatile is capable of influencing, even if he is sitting in his house, it's unfair. You must be able to say he went there to interfere'. Allegations Mashatile said only the trade and industry minister, Parks Tau, had the power to choose the winning bidder. When asked why there were such allegations around him, Mashatile said he doesn't know. 'There is no way of knowing why people are after me. I do my work, I have been in government for close to 30 years… So, I don't know where these allegations come from. People just go around picking stuff, and I don't know what their motive is. 'If I've done something wrong, I'll be the first to accept to say I did something wrong, but if I've not, I'm not going to accept that. It doesn't matter how many times people make allegations'. Lottery Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, announced the award to Sizekhaya on May 28 this year after protracted delays and what he called 'this arduous exercise' of evaluating eight applications. Sizekhaya was competing with seven other bidders, including long-time operator Ithuba. The National Lotteries Commission (NLC), which reports to Tau, helps adjudicate licence bids. On Monday, Tau assured MPs that allegations of conflicts of interest linked to the newly awarded lotto operator licence will be investigated. ALSO READ: WATCH: DA lays corruption charges against Mashatile
News24
23-06-2025
- Business
- News24
Lottery jackpot: Mashatile's family tied to new multibillion-rand operator deal
Adding to concerns over political interference in the award of the fourth national lottery licence, it has emerged that Deputy President Paul Mashatile's sister-in-law has a stake in the game. Khumo Bogatsu is the twin sister of second lady Humile Mashatile and co-owns Bellamont Gaming with Moses Tembe. The company is a shareholder of Sizekhaya Holdings. In May, Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau announced Sizekhaya as the winning bidder for the multibillion-rand tender. Sizekhaya Holdings, which landed the lucrative licence to operate South Africa's national lottery for eight years, has links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile. Among Sizekhaya's shareholders is Bellamont Gaming, a company co-owned and co-directed by Khumo Bogatsu – Mashatile's sister-in-law – and Moses Tembe, the KwaZulu-Natal businessman who chairs Sizekhaya – and seems close to Mashatile. Bogatsu is the twin sister of Humile Mashatile, born Bogatsu. The deputy president and Humile were married in a lavish set of celebrations attended by the political and business elite in March 2023. Bellamont Gaming was registered nine months later, in December 2023, with Tembe and Bogatsu as its founding and still only directors. Bellamont and consortium partners then registered Sizekhaya just days before last year's 3 February deadline to contest the fourth national lottery licence. Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau finally announced the award to Sizekhaya on 28 May this year after protracted delays and what he called an 'arduous exercise' of evaluating eight applications. The National Lotteries Commission, which answers to Tau, helps adjudicate licence bids. The lottery licence is almost literally a licence to print money. The outgoing operator, Ithuba Holdings, reported a R7.28 billion turnover in 2024. Bogatsu and Tembe's joint involvement adds to widespread fears that the politics of patronage may have intruded on the award process. Tembe stays in a palatial residence on Bellamont Road above Umdloti Beach north of Durban – a road that lent its name to Bellamont Gaming and about a dozen other companies in Tembe's corporate arsenal. People from the area, who asked not to be named, said Mashatile and Humile had frequented Tembe's home, particularly last year when the deputy president's sizable motorcade made itself known. In February last year, they allegedly stayed over for around six days ahead of the ANC's election manifesto launch in Durban. A picture shows Tembe and Mashatile together at St Paul's Anglican Church where the party was honouring those who lost their lives in a bus crash returning from the manifesto launch at Moses Mabhida Stadium. The manifesto launch was on 24 February, three weeks after the lotto bid deadline. Tembe has been seen at Mashatile's side in public, including in May this year as part of the business delegation that accompanied the deputy president to France for an investment conference. In a terse response to amaBhungane's questions, Mashatile's spokesperson, Keith Khoza, denied the deputy president had interfered. He said: He has nothing to do with the licence award process as it does not fall within the ambit of his delegated functions nor did he participate in any way, shape or form. Similarly, the business relationship with any of the parties involved has nothing to do with the [deputy president] and his wife. Khoza did not respond to detailed questions about Mashatile's relationship with Tembe and the new lotto operator, nor whether he was briefed – formally or informally – on the lottery bid. National Lotteries Commission spokesperson Rudzani Tshigemane referred questions to Tau's department, which did not respond to amaBhungane's query. Sizekhaya Holdings, answering on behalf of itself, Bogatsu and Tembe, said it rejected 'with the utmost seriousness, any suggestion that our successful bid for the national lottery licence was influenced by political proximity'. Bellamont-Sizekhaya web Tembe, among numerous other business interests, directs 14 companies bearing the Bellamont name and is active in a wide swathe of economic activity. He has served as secretary-general of the KwaZulu-Natal branch of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry, president of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and board member of the South African Chamber of Commerce UK and KwaZulu-Natal National Business Initiative. He also co-chaired the KwaZulu-Natal Growth Coalition with then-premier Sihle Zikalala. Bogatsu, for her part, has co-directed three companies with her sister – Mashatile's wife – though they have since been deregistered, according to company registration records. Neither the size of Bogatsu and Tembe's respective stakes in Bellamont Gaming nor Bellamont's in Sizekhaya have been made public. Sizekhaya confirmed Bogatsu held shares in Bellamont. It said Bellamont in turn was a 'minority shareholder' in Sizekhaya and 'a legally compliant gaming entity'. Publicly available information records the Goldrush Group as Sizekhaya's largest shareholder, with 50%, which will decrease to 40% when a stake is issued to a government entity in line with licensing conditions. Goldrush is in turn 59.4%-owned by JSE-listed Goldrush Holdings, whose shareholders include Mauritian-based Astoria Investments and local investors Jan van Niekerk and Piet Viljoen. Another notable figure in Sizekhaya is ANC-linked businessman Sandile Zungu. He was nominated for the position of ANC KwaZulu-Natal chair in 2022 but decided not to contest after speaking to ANC leaders. Zungu, like Tembe, accompanied Mashatile to France in May this year. The delegate list records Tembe as representing his Bellamont Investments and Zungu his Zungu Investments. It was a visit that later drew media scrutiny over Mashatile's travel expenses and the company the deputy president kept. The delegation included a businessman under scrutiny by Johannesburg Water, an amaBhungane investigation has found. Sizekhaya said Tembe and Zungu attended the investment conference 'at the formal invitation of the South African ambassador to France, Mr Nathi Mthethwa' and that they were 'present as part of a longstanding national effort to promote foreign investment'. Sizekhaya did not respond directly to a question about Mashatile's alleged stay at Tembe's house before the ANC manifesto launch, but said Tembe 'has hosted and interacted with trade unionists, religious figures and political leaders across the spectrum, including the ANC, IFP, DA, EFF, MK Party – and yes, Deputy President Paul Mashatile'. Regarding a picture that shows Tembe and Mashatile together at St Paul's Anglican Church in Durban where the party honoured party faithful killed in a bus crash after the launch, it said Tembe had been invited by the presiding minister, his cousin Reverend Thami Tembe. 'This was a private family engagement of spiritual significance, and it would be inaccurate to attribute any political motive to it.' 'Never concealed' Sizekhaya dismissed any suggestion that the company's successful bid was tainted by political connections. 'This is a defamatory inference that maligns not only Mr Tembe's business integrity but also undermines the credibility of the regulatory and adjudication systems of the Republic of South Africa.' Sizekhaya also said Tembe 'has never concealed his association' with the deputy president: 'Given Mr Mashatile's public role as the country's second citizen and the scrutiny which accompanies it, it would be entirely illogical – if not impossible – to obscure any such association.' READ | amaBhungane: Who went to Paris with Paul? Tenderpreneur joined Mashatile's France-SA business trip The Lotteries Act provides that 'no political party in the Republic or political office-bearer [must have] any direct financial interest in the applicant or a shareholder of the applicant' for a lottery licence. Sizekhaya said it had fully complied with the Act: 'No arrangements exist that confer a direct or indirect financial benefit to any political entity.' Bogatsu, it said, 'is not a political office bearer and is fully entitled to pursue any legitimate commercial interest'. Controversy The awarding of the fourth lottery licence has garnered significant public attention, which has also focused on the apparent political ties of other bidders. Political parties BOSA and the EFF have been outspoken on the issue. BOSA submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act application last October to access the identities of the people tasked with adjudicating the tender amid concerns of conflicts of interest. 'At R180 billion, the contract to operate the national lottery is the country's largest tender. Given the amount of money involved, the process followed requires a high duty of care to ensure no malfeasance or wrongdoing by any party involved,' BOSA deputy leader Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster said in a statement. The EFF last year raised red flags including over the involvement of Tembe and Zungu in Sizekhaya. 'The minister's refusal to answer direct questions… raises serious concerns about the legitimacy and lawfulness of the process,' spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said. The process of the award has not been without struggle, having been plagued by delays and court challenges. In December last year, Tau said he had identified 'matters that require further evaluation' and postponed his decision. He cited the need to ensure that the licensee's owners and managers were fit and proper persons. 'In addition, I must ensure that no political party or political office-bearer has any direct financial interest in the applicant or a shareholder of the applicant,' he said.
