Minstrels complete in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.3-million grant from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission towards the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for just a minstrels museum has uncovered no proof that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators identified that the CTMCA did not utilize the R5-million allocated to buy or produce a museum.
Additionally they discovered the CTMCA only acquired land truly worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They found the CTMCA utilised cash within the Lottery to purchase workshop tools from one among its possess directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how numerous rand granted for the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) through the Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) to create a museum to rejoice the town’s prosperous minstrel background went astray. The museum was never produced.
The main points from the abuse of millions of rands of Lottery money for the museum that hardly ever was are discovered within an investigative report commissioned from the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted on the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017.
The main Section of the investigation, by legislation business Dabishi Nthambeleni, was carried out involving September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.three-million grant to the CTMCA in 2014, which involved funding with the museum. The approved price range for your museum was over R12.8-million, with R5-million of that allocated to get a building to deal with the museum.
Go through the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the purchase of a building with the museum and whether or not the museum “in fact existed”.
The company was also instructed to analyze
the acquisition with Lottery cash of two vehicles – a 60-seater bus in addition to a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
several devices “ordered with the producing with the costumes and hats” with the minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At time, convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director from the CTMCA. He was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of a number of administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in May 2021.
The investigation followed in depth reporting by GroundUp in regards to the countless rands of Lottery funding allocated into the CTMCA (see listed here, in this article and right here) and how the resources most likely helped finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign inside the Western Cape, led by at enough time by Marius Fransman.
The making on the ideal was the meant site of the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial space in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Picture: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to some Parliamentary concern, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane listed grants to a few CTMCA “tasks” - such as the museum - concerning 2012 and 2015. All a few tasks had been finished, she told MPs.
However the investigators uncovered no proof that a museum experienced ever existed.
At first the museum was as a result of open in rented premises in Crete Highway, Wetton. A photo attained by GroundUp in the meant Wetton museum shows a coffee shop with some musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of photographs haphazardly hung to the partitions, in addition to a product ship on its plinth in a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni said it absolutely was “not ready” to verify if a museum had at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet advised the investigators the museum had been moved since they could now not find the money for the lease of R100,000 per month. He explained the CTMCA had ordered home for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal for your museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and were offered for a similar cost. Schaapkraal is in a very peri-city location significantly from town.
Therefore, the museum were moved to a new area in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But after checking out the premises, which might be within an industrial spot, the investigators claimed they doubted whether an appropriate museum existed there. Shots connected for the report present a mishmash of randomly displayed uniforms, musical instruments and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed to your wall, shown on tables and distribute out on the floor, without having clarification.
“There is a small level of merchandise on the museum [that] on no account symbolize the much more than 100-yr heritage of your Cape City Carnival, the investigators stated, including that there was “no signage exterior the premises indicating they housed a museum and … normally, the museum won't glimpse to generally be open up to the public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant settlement, Dabishi Nthambeleni pointed out, by transferring The placement in the museum to an alternative locale devoid of notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal house, on which no museum was at any time designed. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet explained to the investigators the CTMCA experienced to maneuver through the rented Crete Road premises mainly because it experienced run up a R4-million financial debt with the City of Cape Town and was frightened its machines might be attached.
“Due to the authorized battles as well as the debts, the organisation experienced to move its assets from five Crete Street to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the house on the organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, the current director of the CTMCA, told them the two buses bought with lottery cash were stored inside a mystery locale “concealed within the Sheriff”. Although the investigators said they have been unable to confirm that any buses had ever been bought.
Stemmet also verified which the buses were hidden to stop them being seized. But in the event the investigators requested being taken into the place where the buses were saved, he informed them that “the owner of the secret place was not accessible to open the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not provide proof of payment for 2 vehicles that it allegedly procured with grant income,” the investigators claimed.
Soeker also told them the Schaapkraal house were sold because of the financial debt.
“Mr Soeker stated that according to his being familiar with, due to credit card debt owed to the town of Cape Town, the CTMCA determined It could be ideal to provide their [Schaapkraal] residence … and also to also to cover the property of the CTMCA to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the residence.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for safety and stability, has Earlier instructed GroundUp the CTMCA “threw dollars away” on litigation with town.
“Each and every year like clockwork, as we approach the top of the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a legal combat with town, in excess of permits or another thing. We under no circumstances initiate it. They retain throwing cash absent on vexatious litigation which they reduce and have fees awarded versus them. This is completely self-inflicted,” he stated.
Soeker informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the leading job gamers on problems with Lottery funding ended up Stemmet and previous CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were in command of each of the admin, finances and managing hihuay the CTMCA.” The investigators stated they had been unable to contact Momberg.
Hats
Throughout their “investigation in loco” in the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “found a lot of machines, some in superior issue, some in poor affliction and a few that looked rusty and very aged”. Stemmet told the investigators that there was also an off-web-site storage facility where by “devices and a few machinery” were kept.
“We asked him to take us to the power but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Based upon images and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, of your goods seem like tools which was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s past premises. Stemmet is going through charges for this elimination.
In accordance with the ultimate development report submitted on the NLC from the CTMCA, the equipment was purchased from Martin-Conne Milliners, a firm by which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter have been administrators at some time.
The investigators identified this “alarming”.
“With the CIPC look for of Martin-Conne Milliners and the invoices submitted, we Be aware the following alarming locating: Mr Stemmet himself is actually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the company is five Crete Street, Wetton, Cape City, a similar tackle on which the museum was intended to be designed and/or converted,” they claimed.
An audit by accountants Kopano Integrated, hooked up for the investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the process of paying for “machinery, plant and stock” valued at R8.one-million from Stalph 164 CC, investing as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators.
Based on Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has paid out R1.2-million being a deposit, indicating R6.nine-million continues to be owed, however there is not any payment day set for when this should be paid.
The Kopano audit and the near website link in between the businesses “reveal to us that there is ‘foul Enjoy’ associated with the acquisition in the equipment in the museum workshop”, the investigators said from the report.
“We discover that it is remarkably possible that CTMCA employed the funding with the NLC to ‘refund’ certainly one of its major administrators with the home at a better overpriced amount than the particular rate and price of the assets and/or equipment.”
Tips
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it had been unable to establish how the grant towards the CTMCA had been used.
“In point of fact, an in depth report on how the funding on the NLC was employed, will be not possible as the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to verify the amounts expended on Each and every product it requested funding for. The interim report and remaining report in the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators found the NLC experienced not done a web site stop by just before approving the grant. But this was not typical observe at the time and they identified no evidence of negligence by NLC personnel.
At enough time, the NLC’s policies did not call for funded organisations to submit proof of payment with interim reports, they identified. This meant that the CTMCA was in a position to get a 2nd tranche of funding without needing to offer evidence that it had used the main tranche for its meant purpose.
Pursuing the appointment of a fresh board, commissioner and senior govt crew, the NLC has tightened up on these as well as other difficulties.
Dabishi Nthambeleni suggested that
the NLC decrease any upcoming funding programs through the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who were involved in the grant be subjected for the NLC’s “delinquency” course of action;
the NLC open up a felony scenario of fraud with SAPS or perhaps the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC get started the entire process of recovering the misappropriated money.
But, as opposed to act within the report’s recommendations, the NLC – less than its past administration – chose to suppress it, as it experienced carried out Using the past studies into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet and Soeker by way of SMS, and questioned for email addresses to ship the questions by e-mail far too. But no reaction had been obtained at enough time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Highway, Wetton. Photo: Raymond Joseph
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