Flood victims get R50m Lotto boost

Victims of recent flooding will get R50-million in aid from the National Lotteries Board.

“The R50-million is an allocation towards the relief efforts being managed by the National Disaster Relief Fund. The fund is currently preparing an urgent formal application,” board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda said in a statement.

The allocation for relief efforts would come from the miscellaneous purposes category of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF), which made up 5% of total funds available for distribution, and was administered directly by members of the board.

The decision to support flood relief efforts was made at a board meeting in Pretoria on Wednesday.

“The board and all of South Africa are touched by the devastation caused by the recent floods.

We believe that the allocation from the NLDTF will be seen by lottery players as their way of helping their fellow citizens to rebuild their lives,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday afternoon the social development department announced in a press statement it had provided assistance to 6 256 families, more than half of them in Gauteng.

In Limpopo 950 families had received help and 687 in the Northern Cape.

Spokesperson Abram Phahlamohlaka said 2 420 people were still awaiting aid.—Sapa