Minstrels carry out in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive Image: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.3-million grant from the Nationwide Lotteries Commission into the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for the minstrels museum has observed no proof that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators observed which the CTMCA did not utilize the R5-million allocated to get or build a museum.
They also identified which the CTMCA only purchased land value R1.7-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They discovered the CTMCA applied resources from the Lottery to buy workshop tools from considered one of its have administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how many rand granted to your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) through the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) to set up a museum to celebrate the city’s loaded minstrel history went astray. The museum was by no means produced.
The details from the abuse of countless rands of Lottery resources for the museum that in no way was are revealed within an investigative report commissioned through the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was A part of much more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted to your CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017.
The main Component of the investigation, by legislation company Dabishi Nthambeleni, was performed in between September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.three-million grant on the CTMCA in 2014, which included funding for your museum. The accredited spending plan for your museum was in excess of R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allocated for a developing to house the museum.
Study the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the purchase of a developing for the museum and whether or not the museum “in fact existed”.
The firm was also instructed to investigate
the acquisition with Lottery money of two motor vehicles – a 60-seater bus and a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
numerous devices “ordered with the manufacturing in the costumes and hats” with the minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At some time, convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director in the CTMCA. He was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of many administrators of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in Might 2021.
The investigation followed extensive reporting by GroundUp with regard to the numerous rands of Lottery funding allotted into the CTMCA (see here, right here and here) and the way the resources possibly aided finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign from the Western Cape, led by at enough time by Marius Fransman.
The making on the appropriate was the intended website in the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial region in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Picture: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to the Parliamentary question, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane detailed grants to a few CTMCA “projects” - including the museum - concerning 2012 and 2015. All 3 jobs were completed, she instructed MPs.
However the investigators uncovered no evidence that a museum experienced ever existed.
At the outset the museum was due to open in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photo received by GroundUp in the meant Wetton museum exhibits a espresso store with a few musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of pics haphazardly hung on the partitions, as well as a design ship on its plinth inside of a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni stated it had been “not ready” to verify if a museum experienced at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet told the investigators the museum were moved mainly because they could not pay for the hire of R100,000 a month. He said the CTMCA experienced acquired residence for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal for that museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and had been bought for the same selling price. Schaapkraal is in a very peri-urban place much from the city.
Consequently, the museum were moved to a whole new area in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But after viewing the premises, which happen to be within an industrial space, the investigators mentioned they doubted regardless of whether an appropriate museum existed there. Photographs hooked up into the report present a mishmash of randomly shown uniforms, musical devices and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed into the wall, shown on tables and spread out on the floor, with no clarification.
“There's a negligible number of products for the museum [that] in no way characterize the over one hundred-calendar year history in the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators claimed, introducing that there was “no signage outside the premises indicating that they housed a museum and … usually, the museum isn't going to glance being open up to the public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant settlement, Dabishi Nthambeleni observed, by transferring The placement from the museum to another site devoid of notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal house, on which no museum was ever designed. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet explained to the investigators the CTMCA experienced to move with the rented Crete Road premises since it experienced operate up a R4-million financial debt with the town of Cape City and was frightened its products would be attached.
“A result of the legal battles as well as debts, the organisation had to maneuver its home from five Crete Road to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the property on the organisation,” Stemmet told the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The present director with the CTMCA, told them that the two buses purchased with lottery cash were stored within a solution locale “concealed in the Sheriff”. Nevertheless the investigators explained they ended up not able to verify that any buses had ever been acquired.
Stemmet also verified the buses had been concealed to prevent them currently being seized. But once the investigators asked to be taken into the position the place the buses had been saved, he advised them that “the owner of The key place wasn't available to open up the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not provide proof of payment for 2 autos that it allegedly purchased with grant money,” the investigators described.
Soeker also told them the Schaapkraal home had been marketed due to personal debt.
“Mr Soeker explained that In line with his knowledge, due to financial debt owed to town of Cape Town, the CTMCA determined it would be greatest to promote their [Schaapkraal] assets … and also to also to cover the assets on the CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the house.”
JP Smith, Cape City’s mayco member for protection and security, has Formerly advised GroundUp the CTMCA “threw revenue absent” on litigation with town.
“On a yearly basis like clockwork, as we method the end of the year, the CTMCA picks a legal fight with the City, above permits or something else. We in no way initiate it. They continue to keep throwing revenue away on vexatious litigation that they shed and have charges awarded towards them. That is totally self-inflicted,” he explained.
Soeker told the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the principle function gamers on issues of Lottery funding have been Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who have been in command of all of the admin, finances and functioning lottovip the CTMCA.” The investigators claimed they were not able to Make contact with Momberg.
Hats
Throughout their “investigation in loco” within the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “observed several devices, some in great situation, some in bad affliction and a few that appeared rusty and extremely old”. Stemmet informed the investigators that there was also an off-web-site storage facility where by “devices and some equipment” were being kept.
“We questioned him to take us to the power but he was evasive to our request.”
Depending on images and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, of your goods seem like equipment which was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s past premises. Stemmet is experiencing fees for this elimination.
According to the last development report submitted on the NLC through the CTMCA, the equipment was purchased from Martin-Conne Milliners, a business wherein Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter were directors at time.
The investigators identified this “alarming”.
“Through the CIPC research of Martin-Conne Milliners plus the invoices submitted, we Observe the subsequent alarming obtaining: Mr Stemmet himself is often a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered tackle of the corporate is 5 Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape City, the same handle on which the museum was intended to be built and/or transformed,” they noted.
An audit by accountants Kopano Included, attached to your investigative report, recorded that the CTMCA was in the whole process of getting “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.1-million from Stalph 164 CC, investing as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was an in depth Company of which Stemmet was among the directors.
In keeping with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has compensated R1.two-million as being a deposit, that means R6.9-million continues to be owed, while there isn't any payment date set for when this needs to be paid.
The Kopano audit as well as close hyperlink among the companies “show to us that there is ‘foul Enjoy’ linked to the purchase in the equipment on the museum workshop”, the investigators mentioned inside the report.
“We discover that it is highly probable that CTMCA utilized the funding of the NLC to ‘refund’ amongst its key directors with the house at a higher overpriced amount than the particular cost and worth of the residence and/or equipment.”
Tips
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it absolutely was not able to determine how the grant into the CTMCA were expended.
“The truth is, a detailed 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 quantities put in on Every product it requested funding for. The interim report and ultimate report of the CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators uncovered that the NLC had not done a website take a look at prior to approving the grant. But this was not normal exercise at some time they usually found no proof of carelessness by NLC employees.
At the time, the NLC’s rules didn't involve funded organisations to post proof of payment with interim reviews, they pointed out. This intended the CTMCA was capable of receive a next tranche of funding while not having to give proof that it experienced 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 and also other problems.
Dabishi Nthambeleni encouraged that
the NLC drop any potential funding apps within the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any members who had been associated with the grant be subjected on the NLC’s “delinquency” system;
the NLC open up a felony scenario of fraud with SAPS or perhaps the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC start off the whole process of recovering the misappropriated cash.
But, as an alternative to act about the report’s recommendations, the NLC – under its former administration – chose to suppress it, as it experienced completed Using the past reviews into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet and Soeker by way of SMS, and requested for electronic mail addresses to deliver the issues by email way too. But no reaction were received at time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Street, Wetton. Picture: Raymond Joseph
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