Minstrels carry out in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.3-million grant through the National Lotteries Commission on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) to get a minstrels museum has located no proof that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators discovered the CTMCA did not utilize the R5-million allocated to obtain or build a museum.
They also discovered the CTMCA only purchased land well worth R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They identified the CTMCA utilised money through the Lottery to get workshop devices from one among its own administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how millions of rand granted on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) via the Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) to arrange a museum to rejoice the town’s rich minstrel history went astray. The museum was in no way developed.
The details of your abuse of a lot of rands of Lottery funds for a museum that never ever was are revealed in an investigative report commissioned from the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Section of greater than R64-million in Lottery money allocated into the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017.
The initial part of the investigation, by regulation firm Dabishi Nthambeleni, was performed amongst September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.3-million grant into the CTMCA in 2014, which provided funding for the museum. The authorized finances for that museum was a lot more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allotted for your making to house the museum.
Read through the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the acquisition of the developing for your museum and whether or not the museum “truly existed”.
The organization was also instructed to analyze
the purchase with Lottery money of two motor vehicles – a 60-seater bus and a 23-seater bus – for R2.four-million; and
a variety of devices “acquired to the manufacturing on the costumes and hats” for the minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director on the CTMCA. He was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing as two of numerous administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in May perhaps 2021.
The investigation followed comprehensive reporting by GroundUp regarding the a lot of rands of Lottery funding allotted to your CTMCA (see below, below and below) and how the funds most likely aided finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign while in the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.
The constructing on the proper was the meant internet site from the minstrels’ museum, in the midst of an industrial location in Primrose Park, Cape City. Image: Raymond Joseph
In response to the Parliamentary concern, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane listed grants to three CTMCA “projects” - including the museum - in between 2012 and 2015. All 3 jobs had been concluded, she told MPs.
Nevertheless the investigators uncovered no proof that a museum experienced at any time existed.
To start with the museum was resulting from open up in rented premises in Crete Highway, Wetton. A photograph acquired by GroundUp on the meant Wetton museum demonstrates a espresso store with a few musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of photographs haphazardly hung to the partitions, as well as a design ship on its plinth in the corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni claimed it was “not ready” to confirm if a museum experienced at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet instructed the investigators the museum were moved since they could no longer pay for the lease of R100,000 per month. He claimed the CTMCA had purchased residence for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal to the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and were marketed for the same price. Schaapkraal is in a very peri-urban space significantly from the city.
Subsequently, the museum had been moved to a fresh spot in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But right after checking out the premises, which happen to be in an industrial area, the investigators claimed they doubted irrespective of whether a correct museum existed there. Photos attached for the report clearly show a mishmash of randomly displayed uniforms, musical instruments and diverse minstrel paraphernalia nailed on the wall, shown on tables and distribute out on the ground, without clarification.
“There is a minimal volume of products with the museum [that] in no way characterize the over a hundred-year historical past of the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators mentioned, including that there was “no signage exterior the premises indicating they housed a museum and … commonly, the museum would not search to become open up to the general public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant arrangement, Dabishi Nthambeleni observed, by relocating The placement of the museum to another area with no notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal property, on which no museum was ever constructed. Photo: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet explained to the investigators the CTMCA experienced to move with the rented Crete Highway premises since it had run up a R4-million personal debt with the City of Cape City and was worried its products might be hooked up.
“Because of the legal battles and the debts, the organisation had to maneuver its assets from five Crete Street to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the residence in the organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The present director from the CTMCA, explained to them the two buses bought with lottery money had been stored within a key place “concealed from your Sheriff”. Even so the investigators said they ended up not able to confirm that any buses had at any time been acquired.
Stemmet also confirmed that the buses had been hidden to prevent them currently being seized. But in the event the investigators asked for being taken on the place exactly where the buses have been stored, he informed them that “the owner of The trick locale wasn't accessible to open up the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA couldn't provide evidence of payment for 2 motor vehicles that it allegedly procured with grant revenue,” the investigators described.
Soeker also advised them the Schaapkraal house had been sold because of the credit card debt.
“Mr Soeker defined that Based on his understanding, mainly because of the personal debt owed to town of Cape City, the CTMCA determined it would be ideal to provide their [Schaapkraal] assets … also to also to cover the property on the CTMCA to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the residence.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for security and security, has previously told GroundUp the CTMCA “threw money absent” on litigation with the City.
“Each and every year like clockwork, as we technique the top with the year, the CTMCA picks a authorized struggle with the City, about permits or something else. We by no means initiate it. They maintain throwing money away on vexatious litigation they reduce and have charges awarded versus them. This is totally self-inflicted,” he mentioned.
Soeker advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the most crucial job players on problems with Lottery funding had been Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who had been in command of all the admin, funds and jogging หวย รัฐบาล the CTMCA.” The investigators reported they had been unable to contact Momberg.
Hats
Throughout their “investigation in loco” at the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “discovered many machines, some in good condition, some in bad ailment plus some that seemed rusty and intensely old”. Stemmet advised the investigators that there was also an off-web page storage facility the place “devices plus some equipment” had been retained.
“We requested him to acquire us to the power but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Depending on pics and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, in the objects look like gear that was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s prior premises. Stemmet is going through rates for this elimination.
Based on the last progress report submitted on the NLC via the CTMCA, the equipment was purchased from Martin-Conne Milliners, a company during which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter had been administrators at enough time.
The investigators identified this “alarming”.
“From the CIPC research of Martin-Conne Milliners plus the invoices submitted, we Notice the following alarming finding: Mr Stemmet himself is usually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered tackle of the corporate is five Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape Town, a similar address on which the museum was intended to be developed and/or converted,” they noted.
An audit by accountants Kopano Incorporated, attached to the investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the whole process of purchasing “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.1-million from Stalph 164 CC, investing as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was an in depth corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators.
As outlined by Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has compensated R1.2-million for a deposit, which means R6.nine-million is still owed, while there's no payment day established for when this should be paid.
The Kopano audit along with the near link among the businesses “point out to us that there's ‘foul play’ involved in the purchase from the machinery of the museum workshop”, the investigators mentioned inside the report.
“We find that it is remarkably probable that CTMCA utilized the funding of the NLC to ‘refund’ certainly one of its most important administrators for your residence at a greater overpriced rate than the particular cost and price of the house and/or equipment.”
Recommendations
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it absolutely was unable to determine how the grant towards the CTMCA were invested.
“In point of fact, a detailed report on how the funding in the NLC was employed, will be impossible as the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or proof of payments to confirm the quantities put in on Each and every merchandise it asked for funding for. The interim report and ultimate report with the CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators observed that the NLC experienced not done a internet site take a look at in advance of approving the grant. But this was not standard observe at enough time and so they observed no proof of negligence by NLC staff.
At some time, the NLC’s policies didn't call for funded organisations to post proof of payment with interim studies, they identified. This intended that the CTMCA was ready to receive a second tranche of funding while not having to deliver proof that it experienced used the very first tranche for its meant intent.
Subsequent the appointment of a whole new board, commissioner and senior executive team, the NLC has tightened up on these and also other difficulties.
Dabishi Nthambeleni encouraged that
the NLC decrease any long term funding applications in the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any members who were being associated with the grant be subjected to the NLC’s “delinquency” course of action;
the NLC open up a criminal situation of fraud with SAPS or maybe the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC commence the whole process of recovering the misappropriated resources.
But, as opposed to act over the report’s recommendations, the NLC – below its past administration – selected to suppress it, since it had finished with the previous reports into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp sent concerns to Stemmet and Soeker via SMS, and requested for electronic mail addresses to mail the thoughts by e-mail too. But no response were gained at the time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Street, Wetton. Image: Raymond Joseph
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