The South African Lottery Board has failed to distribute 72% of the R8,5-billion to the needy, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday.

"A reply to a DA Parliamentary question has revealed that despite R8,5-billion being available to the board for distribution to beneficiaries in the three years from 2007 to 2009, just R2,3-billion was actually paid out," said party spokesperson Kobus Marais.

While they paid out on 28% of the money, board members earned a combined salary of R7,5-million in that period, he said.

"It is quite clear from the reply that, while those individuals on the lottery board receive huge sums of money, the board is fundamentally failing to fulfil its mandate and distribute funds to those in need," Marais said.

Only R792-million of the R2,1-billion was paid out to beneficiaries in 2007, while R634-million was paid out a year later from the R2,9-billion available.

This year, R948-million has been paid out from the R3,3-billion.

"It is the responsibility of the board to ensure that the Lottery distributes monies available to it to those in need. It [the board] is quite clearly failing to do this and those responsible for this failing, including the board members, now need to account for this failure and justify the salaries they earn," he said.

Marais said he would submit a series of Parliamentary questions to the Minister of Trade and Industry, asking what criteria the department used to measure the performance of board members.

"I will also be asking what action will be taken against those board members or administrators who fail to meet those criteria," he said.