Sol Phenduka Reacts to Minnie Dlamini's Lottery Controversy with Thought-Provoking Questions

• Sol Phenduka responded publicly to Minnie Dlamini’s involvement in the National Lotteries Commission funding scandal linked to the Mshandukani Foundation
• On Tuesday, 23 December 2025, Minnie Dlamini released a statement firing back at the Special Investigating Unit (SIU)
• Some social media users interpreted Phenduka’s comments as a subtle dig at Dlamini

Renowned broadcaster Sol Phenduka has reacted to the Minnie Dlamini lottery scandal.

Dlamini was one of several individuals who received money from the Mshandukani Foundation NPO, which was investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for the misappropriation of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) grant funding.

On Tuesday, 23 December 2025, Dlamini came out guns blazing after the SIU announced that she had agreed to repay money she received in 2016 from the foundation. Sol Phenduka, who is one of the respondents in Minnie Dlamini’s lawsuit for an issue unrelated to the lottery funds, broke his silence with a series of thought-provoking questions.

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What did Sol Phenduka say about Minnie Dlamini's lottery controversy?

Taking to his X account, Sol Phenduka focused on Minnie Dlamini’s claim that she was booked for an event that never happened, and she didn't know the source of the money. In his first question, Phenduka asked how self-employed individuals can ensure due diligence to ensure that the money they are receiving from a client is not from the proceeds of a crime. The post was captioned:

“QUESTION. When you are self-employed, how do you ensure that the money your client is paying you for your work is not ill-gotten, misdirected or stolen monies? Is it even possible to know?”

In a separate post, Sol Phenduka asked lawyers on the social media platform whether Minnie Dlamini could take the SIU to court for allegedly publishing a narrative that paints her in a bad light. The post was captioned:

“Legal Twitter, can she sue the SIU?”

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How social media reacted to Sol Phenduka's questions

In the comments beneath his second question, some social media users argued that Minnie Dlamini does not have legal grounds to sue the SIU unless an agreement was in place that they should not release a statement. Others assumed that Phenduka was taking a subtle jab at Minnie Dlamini.

Here are some of the comments:

@Malatjie_ argued:

“No grounds unless their agreement contained a clause stating otherwise, which I assume there isn’t, since SIU released a statement. Also, she wouldn’t dare poke the bear. She’s taking a risk with this nonsensical statement she released. I don’t think she consulted her legal rep before releasing it.”

@jobenkosinathi_ laughed:

“😂😂😂 am I reading into things, or that’s a pun?”

Beneath his first question, social media users suggested that while it is difficult to ascertain a client’s source of wealth, self-employed individuals should have clear contracts and ensure payments are made through legitimate, traceable channels.

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Here are some of the comments:

@Amor_kotola argued:

“You can’t fully audit a client’s finances, but you can do reasonable due diligence, know your client, have clear contracts, and ensure payments go through traceable, legitimate channels. Beyond that, you act in good faith unless there’s a clear red flag. 🤷🏽‍♀️”

@noncebamthimuny remarked:

“Now that I think about it, self-employed people are in real trouble. Especially if you have terms and conditions on contracts about keeping a certain amount for cancellations. They cancel you keep 10/20% of the fee, only to find out it's stolen money. SIU comes knocking on your door.”

@MokoneNgwato argued:

“I don't think SIU is expecting people to know that. I thought the main issue here was that no services were rendered. Have you ever seen SIU demanding refunds from car dealerships? The services or product were rendered; hence, they will take the car and sell it.”

Minnie Dlamini lands Netflix gig amid controversy

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Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that Minnie Dlamini secured a new gig as the presenter of a special Netflix show.

On Monday, 22 December 2025, Netflix confirmed that Dlamini would present the show alongside two renowned sportscasters. The announcement sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some fans expressing doubts about her suitability for the role.

Source: Briefly News