IN CONVERSATION WITH MAKASHULE GANA, MP RISE Mzansi National Assembly Whip.
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The fight to reform the gambling industry cannot only happen on the
floor of the National Assembly, it is why on Monday, I took the fight to
the boardroom of Betway, where I met with the CEO, Mr Laurence
Michel, and members of his executive team, where I tabled RISE
Mzansi’s 7-Point Plan to reform gambling. The meeting was
productive and there were areas of agreement, particularly around
advertising. I have warned that if the gambling industry does work with
11:30
lawmakers and make commitments to reform the gambling industry,
but sits on the sidelines, the outcome will be undesirable. On
Thursday, I will attend and address the Responsible Gambling Summit
2025 in Johannesburg, where I will once again outline RISE Mzansi’s
7-Point Plan.
The Summit will also be addressed by, among others, Adv Joe Nalane
SC, Board Chairperson of the South African Responsible Gambling
Foundation; Dr Pali Lehohla, former Statistician-General of StatsSA;
and Clinical Psychologist, Mr Anele Siswana. The week will end with a
crescendo
. On Friday at 10h00, RISE Mzansi will picket outside the Department
of Trade, Industry and Competition in Tshwane to deliver a
memorandum of demands on behalf of the people of South Africa who
support our call for gambling reforms. We call upon political parties,
unions, associations, civil society organisations and South Africans to
join hands with us. RISE Mzansi remains steadfast in its campaign for
reforms in the gambling industry, which in the 2024/25 financial year
milked R1, 5-trillion from South Africans, while only paying R5,8-
billion in taxes.
floor of the National Assembly, it is why on Monday, I took the fight to
the boardroom of Betway, where I met with the CEO, Mr Laurence
Michel, and members of his executive team, where I tabled RISE
Mzansi’s 7-Point Plan to reform gambling. The meeting was
productive and there were areas of agreement, particularly around
advertising. I have warned that if the gambling industry does work with
11:30
lawmakers and make commitments to reform the gambling industry,
but sits on the sidelines, the outcome will be undesirable. On
Thursday, I will attend and address the Responsible Gambling Summit
2025 in Johannesburg, where I will once again outline RISE Mzansi’s
7-Point Plan.
The Summit will also be addressed by, among others, Adv Joe Nalane
SC, Board Chairperson of the South African Responsible Gambling
Foundation; Dr Pali Lehohla, former Statistician-General of StatsSA;
and Clinical Psychologist, Mr Anele Siswana. The week will end with a
crescendo
. On Friday at 10h00, RISE Mzansi will picket outside the Department
of Trade, Industry and Competition in Tshwane to deliver a
memorandum of demands on behalf of the people of South Africa who
support our call for gambling reforms. We call upon political parties,
unions, associations, civil society organisations and South Africans to
join hands with us. RISE Mzansi remains steadfast in its campaign for
reforms in the gambling industry, which in the 2024/25 financial year
milked R1, 5-trillion from South Africans, while only paying R5,8-
billion in taxes.
