• DA calls for breakdown of EDTEA legal costs after Gold Circle’s successful court challenge against KZN Gaming and Betting Board
• Where will the money come from? Not our taxpayers!
• Gaming and Betting Board must be held accountable for violating Treasury instruction
Note to Editors: Please find Hannah Lidgett, MPL sound bite in English
The DA has written (view here) to Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) MEC, Reverend Musa Zondi, to request a detailed breakdown of legal costs incurred as a result of Gold Circle’s successful court challenge against KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Gaming and Betting Board.
The dispute arose after the Gaming and Betting Board – which falls under EDTEA – unlawfully withheld 3% tax revenue accrued from winning bets from Gold Circle. This despite clear instructions from Treasury that such action was illegal. Instead of adhering to Treasury’s directive, the board chose to proceed with withholding the funds, leading to litigation – which it has now lost in court.
The Gaming and Betting Board, which is responsible for this reckless decision, must be held accountable. Its unlawful actions have resulted in legal costs that will now have to be carried by KZN’s EDTEA department.
The critical question remains: where will this funding come from? KZN’s taxpayers cannot be left to foot the bill for the department’s mismanagement. This expenditure will also have a direct impact on our province’s fiscus and cannot be taken lightly.
The DA expects MEC Zondi to provide an exact breakdown of legal costs. The extent of the financial implications for his department must be urgently established.
As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) the DA will continue to demand transparency and accountability as we work towards building our province, in the best interests of all its people.