Minstrels accomplish in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni right into a R27.3-million grant from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission into the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) to get a minstrels museum has discovered no proof that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators discovered the CTMCA didn't utilize the R5-million allocated to order or establish a museum.
They also located the CTMCA only acquired land truly worth R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They found the CTMCA utilized money from your Lottery to get workshop devices from amongst its own administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how many rand granted into the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) via the Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) to build a museum to celebrate the town’s wealthy minstrel record went astray. The museum was under no circumstances developed.
The main points in the abuse of many rands of Lottery funds for the museum that never was are uncovered in an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was part of over R64-million in Lottery cash allocated on the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017.
The 1st Element of the investigation, by regulation agency Dabishi Nthambeleni, was carried out among September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.three-million grant for the CTMCA in 2014, which incorporated funding for the museum. The approved finances to the museum was greater than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allotted for any building to accommodate the museum.
Browse the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the purchase of the building for your museum and whether the museum “really existed”.
The organization was also instructed to analyze
the acquisition with Lottery money of two automobiles – a sixty-seater bus as well as a 23-seater bus – for R2.four-million; and
various machines “acquired to the manufacturing from the costumes and hats” for your minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At the time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director in the CTMCA. He was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of several administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in May 2021.
The investigation followed considerable reporting by GroundUp with regards to the a lot of rands of Lottery funding allotted towards the CTMCA (see below, listed here and below) and just how the resources probably assisted finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign inside the Western Cape, led by at some time by Marius Fransman.
The developing on the right was the intended web-site on the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial area in Primrose Park, Cape City. Picture: Raymond Joseph
In response into a Parliamentary issue, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane mentioned grants to 3 CTMCA “assignments” - including the museum - between 2012 and 2015. All 3 tasks had been finished, she explained to MPs.
Nevertheless the investigators uncovered no proof that a museum had at any time existed.
Initially the museum was due to open in rented premises in Crete Street, Wetton. A photograph attained by GroundUp on the intended Wetton museum shows a espresso shop with a few musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of pictures haphazardly hung around the walls, plus a model ship on its plinth in a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni said it absolutely was “not ready” to substantiate if a museum had at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet explained to the investigators the museum were moved as they could now not manage the rent of R100,000 per month. He said the CTMCA experienced procured assets for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal with the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and had been bought for the same price tag. Schaapkraal is in a peri-urban place far from the city.
Subsequently, the museum were moved to a fresh spot in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet explained to the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But following checking out the premises, which happen to be within an industrial place, the investigators reported they doubted whether or not a proper museum existed there. Photos hooked up on the report demonstrate a mishmash of randomly displayed uniforms, musical devices and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed to the wall, shown on tables and spread out on the floor, without having clarification.
“There is a small volume of items with the museum [that] on no account symbolize the more than 100-yr heritage of your Cape City Carnival, the investigators stated, including that there was “no signage outdoors the premises indicating they housed a museum and … normally, the museum won't glance to generally be open up to the public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant settlement, Dabishi Nthambeleni observed, by transferring The placement from the museum to another spot with no notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal home, on which no museum was at any time developed. Image: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet advised the investigators which the CTMCA had to maneuver in the rented Crete Street premises mainly because it had run up a R4-million credit card debt with town of Cape Town and was concerned its machines will be connected.
“Mainly because of the legal battles as well as the debts, the organisation had to move its home from 5 Crete Road to avoid the sheriff from attaching the home in the organisation,” Stemmet informed the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, the current director from the CTMCA, told them which the two buses purchased with lottery money were saved in the key place “concealed from your Sheriff”. However the investigators reported they have been not able to confirm that any buses experienced at any time been bought.
Stemmet also verified which the buses had been hidden to prevent them being seized. But once the investigators requested to be taken for the position where the buses have been stored, he instructed them that “the operator of The trick location wasn't available to open the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not deliver evidence of payment for 2 automobiles that it allegedly ordered with grant income,” the investigators noted.
Soeker also told them the Schaapkraal home had been sold as a result of personal debt.
“Mr Soeker spelled out that In keeping with his knowledge, as a result of financial debt owed to the town of Cape Town, the CTMCA resolved It might be best to promote their [Schaapkraal] property … and also to also to hide the property on the CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the property.”
JP Smith, Cape City’s mayco member for security and stability, has Earlier instructed GroundUp the CTMCA “threw revenue absent” on litigation with the City.
“Every year like clockwork, as we tactic the end of the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a lawful battle with the City, about permits or something else. We never ever initiate it. They preserve throwing money away on vexatious litigation which they get rid of and also have costs awarded towards them. This is certainly completely self-inflicted,” he mentioned.
Soeker informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the key function gamers on issues of Lottery funding were Stemmet and previous CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were in charge of many of the admin, finances and running ตรวจ หวย ลาว the CTMCA.” The investigators stated they were not able to Make contact with Momberg.
Hats
For the duration of their “investigation in loco” with the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “discovered various devices, some in excellent ailment, some in poor affliction and a few that seemed rusty and intensely aged”. Stemmet told the investigators that there was also an off-internet site storage facility where by “instruments and several machinery” were stored.
“We asked him to consider us to the power but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Dependant on shots and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, Otherwise all, on the things appear to be gear which was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s previous premises. Stemmet is experiencing fees for this removal.
In accordance with the last development report submitted for the NLC by the CTMCA, the machinery was procured from Martin-Conne Milliners, a business wherein Stemmet, his wife and his daughter had been directors at time.
The investigators located this “alarming”.
“Within the CIPC look for of Martin-Conne Milliners and also the invoices submitted, we Be aware the following alarming discovering: Mr Stemmet himself is really a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the company is five Crete Road, 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 entire 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 close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors.
In line with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the corporation has compensated R1.two-million to be a deposit, meaning R6.nine-million remains owed, nevertheless there isn't any payment date established for when this need to be paid out.
The Kopano audit as well as the close connection involving the companies “indicate to us that there's ‘foul Perform’ linked to the purchase of the machinery of the museum workshop”, the investigators claimed within the report.
“We discover that it's extremely probable that CTMCA made use of the funding in the NLC to ‘refund’ amongst its primary directors to the assets at a higher overpriced charge than the actual price tag and worth of the residence and/or equipment.”
Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it had been unable to establish how the grant to the CTMCA were used.
“In point of fact, an in depth report on how the funding in the NLC was employed, could 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 closing report from the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators discovered the NLC experienced not conducted a internet site visit just before approving the grant. But this wasn't conventional practice at time and so they located no proof of negligence by NLC personnel.
At enough time, the NLC’s regulations didn't 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 while not having to supply evidence that it had utilized the first tranche for its meant objective.
Next the appointment of a different board, commissioner and senior executive staff, the NLC has tightened up on these along with other challenges.
Dabishi Nthambeleni advisable that
the NLC drop any long term funding apps within the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any members who have been involved with the grant be subjected into the NLC’s “delinquency” process;
the NLC open a prison circumstance of fraud with SAPS or the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC begin the process of recovering the misappropriated resources.
But, rather then act over the report’s suggestions, the NLC – beneath its prior administration – selected to suppress it, since it had finished Along with the earlier reports into corruption it had commissioned.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet and Soeker by using SMS, and asked for e mail addresses to send the inquiries by electronic mail also. But no reaction were been given at the time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Street, Wetton. Picture: Raymond Joseph
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