R33 million winning lottery ticket stolen by men dressed as police: report

19 October 2013 - 14:00 By Sapa
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Lottery balls.
Lottery balls.
Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

Police are investigating a case of theft after a winning lottery ticket was stolen, reportedly by men dressed in police uniform, in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, according to a report.

Sipho Ngcobo, 26, claimed he had bought a National Lottery ticket with the winning numbers for last Saturday's R33 million jackpot, the Saturday Star said.

The newspaper's sister publication Isolezwe spoke to the family and learnt that Ngcobo had told a number of people he had the winning ticket.

According to the report, he gave the ticket to his mother, Jabulile Ngcobo, for safekeeping until the following day, when they planned to claim the prize.

Jabulile said two men wearing police uniforms and bearing firearms arrived at their home later and demanded the ticket.

Ngcobo was asleep in his bedroom during the robbery and was reportedly hysterical when he was told of the theft.

Spokeswoman of the National Lottery operator Gidani, Dudu Ndendwa, told the newspaper the prize had been claimed, and that a team of lottery investigators worked with police when winning tickets were reported missing.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now