African lottery millionaires: luck smiles on persistent and superstitious players
African lottery millionaires: luck smiles on persistent and superstitious players
"I told you I'll win the Lotto one day," said Vuyisile Mpupa to his wife once in February, when he came home driving a brand new VW Jetta 4. Mpupa of Bathurst, Eastern Cape, used to buy Lotto tickets every week, but his wife reprimanded him for misspending his hard-earned monthly salary. But that day this 44-year-old father of two surprised his family with a R2.5-million ($US386,300) jackpot.
Two other winners also became milionnaires. Mark Uglietti of Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, won R1.6-million ($US247,300) in June last year and John Kuranner of George in the Western Cape who won R2.7-million ($US417,200) in July 2002.
According to Iol.co.za, Mpupa worked as a general worker in the department of agriculture.
"I used to disagree with my wife because she thought I was wasting money on gambling. One Saturday, I played R34 and didn't check my numbers until I asked my colleagues the following Monday," he said.
“I am not materialistic. I still dress in the same cheap clothes, but my children are the ones who buy designer clothing. All I did was to buy most of the things that I always dreamed of. I have extended my two-bedroomed house into a six-bedroomed house. I bought an Isuzu 4x4 bakkie, a Jetta and a Mercedes Benz minibus," said Mpupa who was accompanied by a relative who drives his cars because he doesn't have a license.
Uglietti, an auto electrician said his life also changed, but unlike Mpupa, he didn't have to start from scratch. "We had a house and two cars. All we did was to buy a house facing the beach, a Mercedes Benz minibus, fly to England and invested the rest of the money," said Uglietti.
Asked how he got the numbers right, Uglietti said: "I am a very superstitious person. We were on the beach and an aeroplane flew over us and its shadow passed over me. If that happens, you must make a wish. And I asked to win the Lotto. I played R10 quickpick and I won the same night."
Kuranner said he played R35 and picked his numbers randomly. "I was asleep when my wife came in screaming and woke me up with the Lotto ticket. I have invested a lot of my winnings, but I bought a Toyota Venture, a VW Microbus and a Toyota Conquest. I also bought an 11-roomed house," he said.
