Brothers implicated in NLC dubious payments take each other to court

While on suspension and under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for allegedly corrupt payments, National Lotteries Commission (NLC) chief operating officer Phillemon Letwaba appeared in court last week.

But it was not for the alleged dubious payments made by the commission to dodgy non-profit organisations under his watch. 

Phillemon appeared in the Randburg magistrate’s court on charges of malicious damage to the property of his younger sibling, Thabo Letwaba, who has been implicated in allegations of companies he is connected to receiving monies from his brother. 

According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Louw, Phillemon was released on R1 500 bail and his case was postponed to 25 August for further investigation. 

A source close to the matter said the case against Phillemon was opened this past Saturday after he damaged Thabo’s property in Cosmo Creek, Roodepoort.

According to the source, Phillemon broke pipes, gates and threw bricks at his brother. One of the bricks in the tussle landed on the windscreen of Phillemon’s Range Rover. 

The two are well-known business partners and it is alleged that the fight is over the money invested in the running of the pair’s clubs, Just Cuban and the newly opened Kara Restaurant and Lounge in Pretoria.

All of this is happening while Phillemon is currently on special leave, pending an investigation by the SIU for alleged corruption and maladministration dating back to 2014.

Early this year, the M&G reported that Upbrand Properties, which is linked to Phillemon,  made several dubious payments to board members of the commission, including himself. 

According to the company’s financial records, which the M&G had seen, the company made payments of more than R2-million to commission non-executive board member advocate William Elias Huma and Phillemon between 2016 and 2018. 

Upbrand was registered in 2016. Its founding director, Johannes Letwaba, is also the brother of Phillemon. Since its inception, the company has secured contractual work from NPOs, including I Am Made 4 God’s Glory, which have been receiving funding from the commission. 

There have also been numerous reports detailing how NPOs were able to get cash from the commission for services that were not rendered. In some of these reports, Thabo is implicated in being involved in his brother’s seemingly dodgy dealings. 

In August 2019, Ground Up reported that PKT Consulting Engineers, which was involved in the construction of Lethabong Old Age, and the recently completed Credo Mutwa Museum and Library in the Northern Cape, has links to the NLC, Phillemon and members of his family.

Kaone Wethu, another company involved in the construction of both the museum and old age home, also has links to Phillemon’s business associates, including Keneilwe Constance Maboa. 

She has been a director in at least five companies linked to Letwaba’s family, GroundUp reported.

But unlike the previous business arrangements between the brothers to allegedly funnel NLC monies into projects they were close to, this one did not go as smoothly. The genesis of their fight is money he and his brother invested towards the opening of Kara Restaurant and Lounge. 

The M&G understands that the deal was made in good faith, and the two did not even bother to write up documents detailing who owns what percentage of the stake in the company. 

Kara was opened on 1 May, but soon after, without consulting his brother, Thabo, Phillemon brought in investors. This degenerated to a tit for tat until Thabo wanted to pull out of the eatery, demanding his money back. 

Thabo confirmed to the M&G that the two did fight and cases have been opened. Phillemon had not responded to questions by the time of publication.

*This article has been updated to include the name of one of Phillemon Letwaba’s business associates

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