National lottery faces cancellation
Friday, January 19, 2024 | 1150 Views |
Distant dreams: Hopes of a national lottery are fading fast
Insiders close to the latest developments told BusinessWeek that despite the Gambling Authority (GA) and its preferred bidder, Ithuba Botswana, having completed negotiations almost a year ago, progress towards kick-starting the lottery has been halted due to legal wrangling by rival bidders.
“There are high chances that the first ever national lottery will be cancelled before it even starts,” authoritative sources told BusinessWeek. “This has largely been due to the legal fighting by the early bidders who feel they were unfairly dismissed by GA.”
When claims of such gravity are made, especially by a sitting Assistant Minister they cannot be brushed aside, delayed, or treated as routine political noise. Even the Ombudsman has confirmed receipt of a report from a political party and a review of these complaints is now underway. That is a necessary first step. But it is only the beginning. The seriousness of the allegations demands urgency, transparency and clarity. The public is entitled to...