JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 8, 2017/APO/ -- 

The Manager of the Mangaung Society for the Care of the Aged, Ms Christine Mosala says funds from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) have been very helpful to the Boikhuco Old Age Home by allowing them to provide and restore the dignity of the elderly in the community of Bochabela in Bloemfontein. 

She was speaking during the joint oversight visit to the Free State by Parliamentarians belonging to the Select Committee on Trade and International Relations aimed at assessing how government-funded programmes in the province were stimulating local economic growth, visited the Mangaung Society for the Care of the Aged yesterday.

Boikhuco which received funding from the National Lotteries Commission provides care and support services to older persons in Mangaung.

Over R21 billion has been distributed to good causes since the Commission’s inception

“In 2013 we received R8 million to build retirement houses for income generation and bought vehicles needed for each programme, over the years. We managed to employ additional staff on contract basis to assist mostly in our residential care programme that accommodates in excess of 80 aged persons. Mostly, the funds assisted with our operational needs,” said Mosala.

According to the Commissioner of the NLC, Ms Thabang Mampane, the Commission through its mandate has played a role to bring about this growth by ensuring that funds are distributed to qualifying beneficiaries. She said that sectors funded by the NLC contribute to job creation, rural development, infrastructure development, promoting wellness and social cohesion.

“Over R21 billion has been distributed to good causes since the Commission’s inception. However, the reliance on a single source of funds does not make it possible to address the needs of the entire Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) sector in South Africa. The National Lottery in South Africa does not exist for the sole purpose of creating millionaires. The driving force behind it is to raise funds for good causes,” said Mampane.

She added that the Commission continues to capacitate beneficiaries in various ways to ensure the sustainability of their projects, and to a position where they are empowered enough to access alternative sources of funding.

“The National Lottery is now a South African staple, and the public, winners, and beneficiaries of grants, continue to derive benefit from the games. Protection of the public remains one of our pillars, and we will continue to perform this important task through regulation of lotteries, enforcement of laws against fraud and illegal lotteries, and the NLC will continue to the protect the basic human rights of vulnerable South Africans through the equitable and expeditious distribution of funds to good causes,” added Mampane.

Distributed by APO on behalf of The Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa.