THE Eswatini Gaming Board has dismissed Abel ‘Bells’ Du-Pont’s complaint over the disputed motorcycle draw at the 2026 Swazi Rally, according to a statement issued by the event organisers.
The ruling, issued on Tuesday, follows a complaint lodged by Du-Pont with the Gaming Board after the confusion surrounding the grand prize draw at the annual rally.
Du-Pont had challenged the outcome of the draw, maintaining that ticket number 2026 had been announced as the winning number three times before he was treated as not being the rightful winner.
He had also disputed the explanation that the master of ceremonies (MC) Mavree, had mistakenly read the year printed on the ticket instead of the actual ticket number.
In the organisers’ latest statement, they said the Gaming Board had heard oral evidence from the parties on September 9 before reaching its decision.
The organisers said the board dismissed Du-Pont’s complaint after considering the evidence presented by both sides.
According to the organisers, the ruling confirmed that Sonia Paiva and the organisers had not changed the winning ticket, as had been alleged. The statement said the MC had made a genuine mistake when he read ‘2026’, which was the year of the rally, instead of the bottom ticket number, which was 1256.
The issue had previously sparked a public dispute after Du-Pont challenged the outcome of the motorcycle draw and said video footage supported his account of what happened during the announcement.
In the earlier account published by the Observer, Du-Pont said the MC had called out ticket number 2026 three times and questioned why the announcement had not been stopped if it was a mistake.
Mavree, however, had apologised for the confusion and maintained that he had mistakenly read the year printed on the ticket.
He explained that his thumb had been covering the actual ticket number while he held the ticket during the announcement.
Mavree had also maintained that the ticket never left his hand and that there had been no second ticket or switching of tickets.
The organisers said they had deliberately refrained from responding to the allegations on social media while the matter was before the Gaming Board, choosing instead to allow the competent authority to hear the evidence and resolve the dispute.
They said the Gaming Board’s ruling had now addressed the allegations that had circulated online since August 30.
The organisers said they were concerned by what they described as serious and unfounded allegations that Paiva and the Swazi Rally organisers had cheated or intended to avoid awarding a rightful winner.
They said the Swazi Rally had built a major brand through its annual event and that they took pride in the platform, both for Emaswati and the international community.
The organisers maintained that they would not cheat anyone who had lawfully won a prize on the day of the rally.
Going forward, the organisers said additional measures had been introduced to strengthen the visual verification process during lucky draws.
They thanked members of the public for their patience while the matter was being deliberated upon and expressed hope that the Gaming Board’s ruling would resolve the dispute.
