Family feud over Lotto cash

23 September 2011 - 02:51 By RAY HARTLE
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Lotto file picture.
Lotto file picture.
Image: MARIANNE PRETORIUS

A lucky Lotto ticket set in motion a train of events that has led to a brother and sister slugging it out in the Port Elizabeth High Court over the R7.5-million win.

The dispute relates to a July 2006 lottery windfall, which came into the formerly close-knit Groener family when there were only two winning tickets for the R15-million jackpot.

Belinda Groener, of Parkside, in Port Elizabeth, claimed in court papers that her brother, John, of Kensington, wrote his name on her winning Lotto ticket.

But John refuted this and said he was the sole and legitimate owner of the ticket.

Belinda has asked the court to stop John from spending the Lotto winnings which, she claims, belong to her and should be distributed for the benefit of all her siblings.

In an application before Judge Jannie Eksteen on August 12, Belinda successfully interdicted John from touching the money, which is now in an Absa account. The bank has been cited as a co-respondent.

Yesterday, the two were back in court for confirmation of the interdict ruling.

The siblings have different versions of how they got the ticket.

Belinda said she bought it from their brother, Desmond Arthur, who urgently needed cash, but John said their sister, Rauwela, bought it at his request using numbers selected by him and with his money.

He said that, in her court papers, Belinda did not indicate how much money she gave Desmond for the ticket.

Neither is there an affidavit by Desmond confirming her version of events.

Belinda said that, after the results of the draw were announced, her ticket was found to have the winning numbers and was placed in her sister Rauwela's cupboard, the only lockable cupboard in the house.

She claims John had then asked Rauwela to show him the ticket and he told her to put his details on it.

But John says that on the day of the draw, Rauwela came to him and whispered: "Jy het gewen (you have won)".

He said the family usually got together to choose Lotto numbers. One family member would then go to the Lotto agent and return the printed ticket to the family member.

The understanding in the family was that it was a winner-takes-all system.

Belinda said that, after the jackpot draw, she had decided it would be "morally" correct to invest the money for the benefit of all her siblings and got John to help her.

"Obviously, I trusted [John] as he is my brother," she said.

The hearing was postponed to October 11.

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