- Write to NATCOM, ACC, Minister
- Calls for suspension on ministry top official
Mbabane – Ebet Eswatini directors have written to the National Commissioner of Police (NATCOM) Vusi Manoma Masango, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) and Ministry of Tourism to report an alleged extortion of E7 million.
In a letter directed to the NATCOM, ACC and the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta, Ebet Eswatini directors, Ioannis Kiriakos Calivitis and Willem Joseph Delport make a number of accusations directed to former business partner and fellow countryman Jaques Van Der Heever.
The letter dated November 14, 2024 and titled, ‘Breach of confidentiality, unauthorised disclosures, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice by Mr Maxwell Dlamini and Mr Jaques Van Der Heever’, is in possession of this publication.
Dlamini is a top official at the Ministry of Tourism for whom the directors are calling for his forensic investigation in claims that he is working with their former business partner in corrupt activities that disrupt the operations of their gambling company Ebet Eswatini.
The letter, penned by Calivitis but also signed by Delport states in part, “I hereby request a formal investigation into the relationship between Mr Maxwell Dlamini, employed by the Ministry of Tourism, and Mr Jaques Van Der Heever. This investigation should be conducted by forensic investigators, pertaining to implicated individuals cell phones, messages, phone calls and email accounts, to address the breach of confidential information, unauthorised disclosures of sensitive government materials, and corruption at the highest level involving these individuals,” states the letter in part.
The letter further states, “Mr Jaques Van Der Heever has verbally disclosed to me the nature of his corrupt relationship with Mr Maxwell Dlamini, which has been ongoing since 2018. Furthermore, Mr. Van Der Heever has now engaged in extortion, with the assistance of Mr Dlamini, who provides him with confidential information intended solely for the Ministry of Tourism. This information is used to extort myself and my business partner, Mr Willem Delport, for E7, 000,000.00.”
Calivitis added that the alleged leaked information includes their bank statements, monthly gaming tax levy, confidential company information, and details of Gambling Board meetings concerning their company, Ebet Eswatini (Pty) Ltd. This breach of confidentiality, he claimed, enabled Mr Van Der Heever to disrupt an official government board meeting deliberating on their gambling licence renewal. He alleged that despite being detained for this disruption, no significant consequences followed.
“We urgently request an immediate investigation into the criminal activities of both individuals, and the immediate suspension of Mr Dlamini pending the outcome of this probe. Their actions have led to the lapse of our gaming licence, highlighting the urgency of this matter. Furthermore, Mr Van Der Heever has infiltrated the entire Ministry of Tourism, and also has the director of Tourism in his clutches, and it would be fair to say that an investigation and lifestyle audit be conducted on the director of tourism, Mrs Gcinangaye Tsabedze, who apparently is assisting Mr Van Der Heever, in corrupting the newly elected Gaming Board, to decline our licence renewal until his ransom amount has been paid,” he alleged.
Calivitis said they trust that the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) will take their concerns seriously and act promptly to address this alleged lawlessness. He said they were committed to cooperate fully with any investigations and providing any additional information required.
In their affidavit, Calivitis states that he is a male South African citizen of 52 years, residing at 304 Boundary Road, Rynfield A.H Benoni in the province of Gauteng, South Africa. He then highlights that Delport, Van Der Heever and himself had been co-directors and shareholders in a company named Q’s Eswatini (Pty) Ltd, and during their association, many disagreements began to arise between themselves as shareholders and directors to the extent that it became impossible to work together and therefore requested that Van Der Heever should offer them an amount of E2 million in exchange for them selling their shares in the company to his (Van Der Heever) favour, an amount he allegedly failed to pay.
Calivitis alleged further that Willem and himself then opted to start their own company which would be involved in online gambling under the style Ebet Eswatini and the company has been operational since 2021. He said their troubles started towards the end of 2023 when Van Der Heever allegedly used his clandestine connections to ensure that the board does not renew their licence by objecting to the granting of the licence.
Delport in his confirmatory affidavit stated on the other hand that he was also an adult male South African citizen of 39 years and currently resides at 58 Vrede Estate, Paarl in Western Cape. He stated that he would in particular like to confirm that he was allegedly invited by Calivitis and Van Der Heever to join them as a co-director and shareholder at a company called Q’s Eswatini (Pty) Ltd and accepted the offer.
He also confirmed that towards the end of the year 2023, Van Der Heever allegedly started to sabotage their business such that the Gambling Control Board revoked their licence, which he claimed their appealed to the minister of Tourism. He added that having appealed, Van Der Heever allegedly objected to their appeal and thereafter started threatening them with arrest and ordered them to stop doing business in Eswatini.
Meanwhile, beneficiaries in the estate of the original betting licence held by SwaziBet (Pty) Ltd and later operated by EBet (Pty) Ltd were demanding E50 million from EBet.
The beneficiaries alleged that they had never received any compensation from the eBet directors, Willie Delport of Cape Town, Ioannis Calavitis of Springs, Republic of South Africa and Lawyer Sibusiso Shongwe of Sibusiso B Shongwe and Associates.
Ntombifuthi Maziya, who was married to the late Mduduzi Maziya, said her husband was the sole shareholder of SwaziBet and when he died, his eldest son, Mxolisi, was granted interim authority to continue the operations of SwaziBet. Mxolisi died in May 2022. Ntombifuthi averred that it was Mxolisi who granted EBet the licence. “Sometime around August 14, 2020, my husband, who was the sole shareholder of the second defendant, passed away and upon his untimely demise, his eldest son one Mxolisi Lucky Maziya was granted the interim authority to continue the operations of the second defendant. Unfortunately, he also passed away sometime in May 2022.”
In June, it was also reported that eBet (Pty) Ltd, which was granted a bookmaker’s licence in May 2024, has three directors.
They are Ioannis Calivitis, Willem Delport and Sibusiso Shongwe. This is according to Form J, which bears the registrar of companies’ stamp, dated February 14, 2024.
Shongwe was appointed as a new director of the company through a resolution of a shareholders’ meeting held on February 13, 2024. He accepted being a director on the same day.
Meanwhile, the two punters who are demanding E3.8 million in purported winnings from both SwaziBet (Pty) Ltd and eBet (Pty) Ltd, wrote to the Eswatini Gaming Board seeking its intervention.
The letter is dated December 4, 2023. It was addressed to the secretary of the Board.
They informed the Board that they accumulated winnings from a holder of a valid gaming licence ‘issued under your hand and the Act’. They said they became entitled to the winnings.
“The necessary demands have been made. Compliance has not been forthcoming and dies have since expired. We, therefore, kindly seek your urgent intervention and convening of the statutory process and hearing at your earliest convenience of the most speediest resolution and directive as per the Act,” they, through their attorneys, MTM Ndlovu Attorneys, wrote to the Board.
Informed.
The Managing Director of SwaziBet (Pty) Ltd, Ntombifuthi Maziya, informed the two punters that the online betting company was under no obligation to pay them.
She said it was only fair for eBet (Pty) Ltd to pay the punters who complained of not being paid.
Maziya said this was because the operation of the bookmakers’ licence was at the time under the control of the directors of eBet.
The punters, Senzo Vilane and Sandile Kuphala are demanding from SwaziBet E1 667 159.86 and E2 199 602.68 respectively. They alleged that their winnings after betting online were not paid.
According to the managing director, Vilane and Kuphala were informed through a correspondence dated April 24, 2024, that SwaziBet was not obligated to pay them.
Maziya stated in the correspondence, which was addressed to the punters’ attorneys, MTM Ndlovu Attorneys, that: “It is important for you to understand that SwaziBet t/a eBet has been under the management of Delport, Calivitis and Shongwe.
“The time your clients were not paid the monies which they won, eBet was being managed by the three aforementioned gentlemen. The Gaming Board and MTN Eswatini are well aware that eBet was being managed by the three aforementioned gentlemen.
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