The Saga Continues....

The other day I wrote about the rags to riches story of the deaf-mute cleaner from Parkwood who won 91 million rand in the lotto. This story has changed drastically in a few days......and for all you sentimentals out there, be warned, there is no fairytale ending for our symbolic winner.

According to news reports he did have the winning ticket, unfortunately it was for the following draw which made his ticket invalid for the 91 million and a 43 year old mother of two and businesswoman took home the grand prize. It's the ultimate in a cruel joke, having the winning ticket and for the wrong draw. The main concern now is this man and his family's disappearance. They apparently moved due to the fact that they were hounded by extended family, friends and complete strangers all looking for a handout.

People in the public have been commenting on this story for the last week saying that he should have won and that the woman who actually did hold the valid winning ticket shouldn't have won because of her richer status. This is taking it a little too far don't you think? I agree that it's a tragedy for this man, who has obviously not had an easy road to travel in his life and as much as I would have loved to have seen him change his life for the better, we can't take the joy out of the win for this woman. She has cleverly chosen to remain anonymous but the beauty of the lotto is that anyone, anywhere and at anytime can win. If you're circumstances are extremely bad, then a win is a major blessing but for someone more fortunate it's still a blessing none the less.

From reports in the media it seems she is quite money savvy and is using her new found riches wisely, putting the minds of National Lottery operator Gidani at rest. My heart goes out to that man and his family and I pray that he will be able to recover from this debacle but I want to congratulate the woman, well done on winning, you deserved it no less than he did.

Emerging From The Woodwork

It's a secret fantasy that fills our mind when things aren't going as well as planned. When you have R100 till payday which happens to be four days away or when you have a particularly bad day at work or when an unexpected doctor's bill throws your entire month into disarray. This is when you find yourself making your imaginary budget in regards to the age old question of, What would I do if I won the lottery? Some even reason with the gods, praying that their prays will be answered if they swear to donate a portion to charity. Bargaining for something that is as unlikely to happen as a snow storm in a blistering Cape Town summer. However every now and then our hope is renewed by the announcement of a winner. That one person that stands out like a shining beacon, the "it could happen to you" symbol.


91 million rand was recently won by a deaf and mute cleaner in the Western Cape. A lotto winner story really doesn't get any better than that, the ultimate rags to riches story. But this story is starting to get ugly, people are emerging from the woodwork. Distant relatives, old friends and even strangers are hitting this guy up for some cash. This is why in my lotto fantasy, I remain anonymous, don't get me wrong I would be spending a lot of money on my family but it would be my choice and not a sob story from a person I haven't seen in years.

There's an excitement, a buzz that has been created and I think it's effects will ensure that the lines for the lotto queue grow even more irritating than they are already. I'm not an avid buyer, in fact, if the line is too long, I move on. But this has triggered a morbid fascination in me and makes me want to stand in that queue, makes me want to be in the running at least. Money, the root of all evil? or the answers to our prayers? I think a bit of both really, if you stay grounded, remember that in this life there are more important things than a slip of paper, however that slip of paper can be the difference between doing it the hard way or the easy way. Congratulations to the winner and I hope that 91 million rand was everything you had hoped for and more, but stay grounded friend and never let your past be forgotten because it's whats going to help shape your rich future.