Minstrels complete in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni right into a R27.3-million grant with the National Lotteries Fee on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) to get a minstrels museum has observed no evidence that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators found the CTMCA didn't use the R5-million allocated to purchase or produce a museum.
Additionally they found that the CTMCA only bought land well worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They discovered the CTMCA utilised cash within the Lottery to purchase workshop gear from among its very own directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how numerous rand granted to your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) because of the Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) to build a museum to celebrate town’s prosperous minstrel history went astray. The museum was never designed.
The details on the abuse of millions of rands of Lottery money for your museum that by no means was are discovered within an investigative report commissioned by the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Portion of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017.
The very first A part of the investigation, by law firm Dabishi Nthambeleni, was conducted concerning September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.3-million grant towards the CTMCA in 2014, which included funding for your museum. The approved spending plan for that museum was a lot more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allotted for your constructing to house the museum.
Read through the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the purchase of the setting up with the museum and whether the museum “really existed”.
The company was also instructed to analyze
the acquisition with Lottery money of two autos – a 60-seater bus as well as a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
numerous equipment “procured for your producing on the costumes and hats” for the minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At some time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director of your CTMCA. He was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of a number of administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in May possibly 2021.
The investigation followed extensive reporting by GroundUp regarding the numerous rands of Lottery funding allocated for the CTMCA (see listed here, below and right here) and just how the resources most likely served finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign during the Western Cape, led by at enough time by Marius Fransman.
The creating on the proper was the intended web site with the minstrels’ museum, in the middle of an industrial place in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to the Parliamentary concern, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane stated grants to three CTMCA “projects” - such as the museum - involving 2012 and 2015. All a few assignments were done, she informed MPs.
Although the investigators located no evidence that a museum experienced at any time existed.
At first the museum was as a consequence of open up in rented premises in Crete Street, Wetton. A photo obtained by GroundUp of your intended Wetton museum shows a espresso store with some musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of pictures haphazardly hung around the partitions, and a design ship on its plinth in a very corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni claimed it had been “not able” to verify if a museum experienced ever operated from these premises.
Stemmet advised the investigators the museum were moved because they could no longer pay for the lease of R100,000 a month. He reported the CTMCA had purchased assets for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal with the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and were sold for the same rate. Schaapkraal is in the peri-city region significantly from town.
Therefore, the museum were moved to a brand new area in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But following checking out the premises, which happen to be within an industrial space, the investigators reported they doubted no matter whether a correct museum existed there. Photographs attached to the report show a mishmash of randomly exhibited uniforms, musical instruments and various minstrel paraphernalia nailed on the wall, displayed on tables and distribute out on the floor, without having clarification.
“There is a nominal level of merchandise on the museum [that] on no account symbolize the much more than 100-yr heritage of the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators mentioned, incorporating that there was “no signage exterior the premises indicating they housed a museum and … commonly, the museum would not look to be open up to the general public.”
The CTMCA experienced breached the grant arrangement, Dabishi Nthambeleni mentioned, by moving The situation with the museum to an alternate place without notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal assets, on which no museum was ever built. Picture: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet informed the investigators which the CTMCA had to maneuver in the rented Crete Street premises because it had operate up a R4-million debt with the City of Cape Town and was afraid its products could well be attached.
“A result of the lawful battles and the debts, the organisation had to move its property from 5 Crete Road to avoid the sheriff from attaching the property from the organisation,” Stemmet informed the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, the current director of the CTMCA, told them which the two buses purchased with lottery money were saved in the key place “concealed through the Sheriff”. Nevertheless the investigators stated they ended up unable to verify that any buses experienced ever been acquired.
Stemmet also verified the buses had been hidden to prevent them currently being seized. But if the investigators asked to get taken into the place exactly where the buses ended up stored, he told them that “the operator of The key area wasn't accessible to open the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not provide proof of payment for two vehicles that it allegedly procured with grant income,” the investigators claimed.
Soeker also informed them the Schaapkraal house had been offered due to the credit card debt.
“Mr Soeker stated that according to his knowing, due to financial debt owed to the City of Cape City, the CTMCA made the decision it would be best to offer their [Schaapkraal] house … also to also to hide the property of your CTMCA to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the property.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for basic safety and safety, has Beforehand advised GroundUp which the CTMCA “threw income absent” on litigation with the City.
“Yearly like clockwork, as we strategy the end from the yr, the CTMCA picks a lawful struggle with the City, above permits or something else. We under no circumstances initiate it. They hold throwing revenue absent on vexatious litigation they eliminate and also have charges awarded towards them. This can be completely self-inflicted,” he explained.
Soeker instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the most crucial role gamers on issues of Lottery funding were being Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who ended up accountable for all the admin, finances and jogging ผล หวย หุ้น the CTMCA.” The investigators mentioned they were not able to contact Momberg.
Hats
All through their “investigation in loco” with the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “identified a lot of machines, some in great ailment, some in negative ailment and a few that appeared rusty and intensely old”. Stemmet explained to the investigators that there was also an off-internet site storage facility where by “instruments and a few machinery” have been retained.
“We asked him to consider us to the power but he was evasive to our request.”
Determined by photographs and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, with the goods look like machines that was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s preceding premises. Stemmet is facing fees for this removal.
In accordance with the last development report submitted to the NLC because of the CTMCA, the machinery was acquired from Martin-Conne Milliners, an organization in which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter were being directors at the time.
The investigators located this “alarming”.
“With the CIPC lookup of Martin-Conne Milliners and the invoices submitted, we Observe the subsequent alarming discovering: Mr Stemmet himself is usually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the organization is 5 Crete Road, Wetton, Cape City, precisely the same tackle on which the museum was meant to be crafted and/or transformed,” they claimed.
An audit by accountants Kopano Included, connected to your investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the entire process of obtaining “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.one-million from Stalph 164 CC, buying and selling as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors.
In keeping with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the corporation has paid R1.two-million like a deposit, this means R6.nine-million continues to be owed, nevertheless there is not any payment date established for when this should be paid.
The Kopano audit as well as the close link between the businesses “point out to us that there is ‘foul Perform’ involved in the acquisition with the machinery of your museum workshop”, the investigators claimed while in the report.
“We discover that it is highly probable that CTMCA used the funding with the NLC to ‘refund’ among its main directors for that property at a better overpriced level than the actual price tag and price of the property and/or machinery.”
Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it had been unable to determine how the grant to the CTMCA had been spent.
“In fact, a detailed report on how the funding in the NLC was utilised, might be unachievable as the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to confirm the quantities invested on Every product it requested funding for. The interim report and remaining report on the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators located which the NLC had not executed a website take a look at prior to approving the grant. But this was not typical practice at time plus they uncovered no proof of carelessness by NLC employees.
At the time, the NLC’s principles did not demand funded organisations to submit proof of payment with interim reports, they identified. This intended the CTMCA was capable to receive a second tranche of funding without having to provide evidence that it had used the main tranche for its meant goal.
Following the appointment of a completely new board, commissioner and senior government team, the NLC has tightened up on these and various concerns.
Dabishi Nthambeleni recommended that
the NLC decline any long run funding applications through the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who were associated with the grant be subjected to your NLC’s “delinquency” process;
the NLC open a criminal case of fraud with SAPS or the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC commence the entire process of recovering the misappropriated money.
But, as opposed to act within the report’s recommendations, the NLC – under its former administration – selected to suppress it, because it experienced performed Along with the earlier reports into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp despatched inquiries to Stemmet and Soeker by way of SMS, and requested for email addresses to ship the questions by e-mail much too. But no response had been gained at the time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Road, Wetton. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
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