After Winning South Africa’s National Lottery, a Number of People’s Worst Nightmares Came True
Numerous family members have lately been in court over multi-million-rand Lotto winnings, and in a few cases, the winners have managed to find themselves broke and in debt.
Martin Harris, a former taxi conductor from Newlands East, managed to win R280 000 in the mid-1990s and recalled feeling “so enthusiastic” when he first found out. However, his enthusiasm quickly faded, and so did his financial windfall. To paraphrase: “At the time, I was a conductor, and I purchased a house as well as a vehicle, but I was drinking and doing drugs.”
Harris claims that within a year, he had wrecked the car, utilised the funds, and given up his home. “I was in a worse position after spending the money due to having accrued considerable debt. Despair had increased as a result of the money, as I had been spending more time with friends than relatives, and now that the cash had disappeared, my mates were gone “Harris remarked.
Harris claims that it wasn’t until he put his faith in Christ that he was able to get his life back to normal. He said he learned the hard way that money can’t buy happiness and now feels guilty about how he spent it.
Patrick and Sibusiso (not his real identity) is 2 men from Durban who also believe their big winnings were accompanied by a curse. They informed Impartial Publications in 2004 how they went from poverty to wealth and back again in 2 years. In 2002, Dladla, a resident of Melmoth, won R1.4 million. He used the money to buy a pair of Mercedes-Benzes, a BMW, and an Isuzu 4×4. He also bought and had to sell a three-bedroom home.
Maghabeni resident Cebhekhulu won R1.9 million in 2000 and spent lavishly, “writing off” seven vehicles, including two brand-new Golf 4s valued at R140 000 each, 2 taxis, a vehicle with an R13,000 sound system, and an R37,000 tow truck.
A couple from Pietermaritzburg went to court about an R10 million lottery wins a month earlier. According to reports, Reena Maslamoney was able to prevent her husband, Davalin, from spending their proportion of the win thanks to an immediate interim order issued by Judge Isaac Madondo of the Pietermaritzburg High Court. After Reena demanded a divorce and her R5 million due to being married in a community of property, reports surfaced that Davalin had spent over R500 000 in a single month.
Reena purchased an R50 “quick pick” ticket for her hubby at a BP petrol station in Raisethorpe in April, and the two of them ended up splitting the prize money. She claimed that her husband had repaid her debts totaling around R36,000, bought her a car costing R100,000, and put down a down payment of R80,000 on a house in Pietermaritzburg. Reena claimed that she and her husband had been having marital issues for some time and that she finally told him she was seeking a separation and her half of the Lotto winnings on May 25.
A family from Durban North was in court just last month, arguing over how to divide up the R8.333 million they managed to win in 2005. Winners Richard and Cathy Young supposedly split the money among their 5 kids: R400,000 each, plus an additional R400,000 to help their son Raymond and his wife Katherine pay off their mortgage. The kids were hit with a donation tax of R80,000 for every R400,000 granted to them, which the family wasn’t aware of. In Durban North, Richard and his wife were residing in a garage apartment on their son Shawn’s property. Richard and Cathy Young won their case before Judge Madondo. He stated that Raymond was responsible for repaying the remaining R382,000 of the loan and his parent’s legal fees.
The Loan Repayment Did Not Include Raymond’s Ex-wife
The killing of Henry “No Rules” Stevens, one of Jason Canterbury’s alleged drug runners, is currently before the Cape High Court in Cape Town, where Canterbury is on trial after winning R6.7-million in the national lottery in 2003. After his 2003 victory, Canterbury reportedly bought a house in Kuils River, a Volkswagen Kombi, and a Toyota Rav4. But he ran out of money quickly and allegedly started dealing drugs to make ends meet.
Gidani’s spokesperson Thembi Tulwana said that since the company began running the National Lottery in October 2007, there have been no big winners who promptly wasted their windfall. “Those who win R50,000 or more from Gidani will have access to free psychological and financial counselling. There are five stages to each of our counselling sessions.”
She explained that the Winner’s Adviser is brought in for sessions of counselling after the winner has been affirmed. There will be a time for both emotional and monetary counselling. She then mentioned an “aftercare phase,” during which patients would receive phone calls twice per week for the first month.
Numerous family members have lately been in court over multi-million-rand Lotto winnings, and in a few cases, the winners have managed to find themselves broke and in debt. Martin Harris, a former taxi conductor from Newlands East, managed to win R280 000 in the mid-1990s and recalled feeling “so enthusiastic” when he first found out.…