Minstrels execute 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 Nationwide Lotteries Fee towards the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for the minstrels museum has discovered no proof that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators found that the CTMCA didn't utilize the R5-million allocated to order or make a museum.
Additionally they identified that the CTMCA only acquired land worthy of R1.7-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They located the CTMCA employed funds with the Lottery to get workshop gear from one of its individual directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how many rand granted for the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) from the Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) to set up a museum to celebrate the city’s prosperous minstrel heritage went astray. The museum was by no means developed.
The small print on the abuse of many rands of Lottery resources for just a museum that never was are revealed within an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted on the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017.
The first Component of the investigation, by law organization Dabishi Nthambeleni, was performed involving September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.3-million grant to your CTMCA in 2014, which included funding to the museum. The approved price range for that museum was more than R12.8-million, with R5-million of that allotted to get a creating to accommodate the museum.
Read through the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the purchase of a developing for that museum and if the museum “really existed”.
The agency was also instructed to research
the acquisition with Lottery money of two vehicles – a sixty-seater bus plus a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
many equipment “procured for that production from the costumes and hats” with the minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At enough time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director on the CTMCA. He was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of numerous directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in May well 2021.
The investigation followed in depth reporting by GroundUp in regards to the an incredible number of rands of Lottery funding allocated for the CTMCA (see in this article, right here and below) and just how the cash almost certainly aided finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign from the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.
The building on the correct was the intended internet site with the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial spot in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Picture: Raymond Joseph
In response to the Parliamentary issue, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane mentioned grants to three CTMCA “tasks” - including the museum - involving 2012 and 2015. All a few tasks were finished, she advised MPs.
Even so the investigators located no proof that a museum had ever existed.
In the beginning the museum was due to open in rented premises in Crete Highway, Wetton. A photo acquired by GroundUp with the intended Wetton museum displays a coffee shop with a few musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of pics haphazardly hung around the walls, in addition to a model ship on its plinth inside a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni said it absolutely was “not in a position” to substantiate if a museum had at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet informed the investigators the museum were moved because they could no more pay for the hire of R100,000 a month. He reported the CTMCA had procured house for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal with the museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and had been offered for a similar price. Schaapkraal is in the peri-city area much from the city.
Therefore, the museum were moved to a new location in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But right after checking out the premises, which happen to be within an industrial space, the investigators reported they doubted regardless of whether a proper museum existed there. Photos hooked up for the report show a mishmash of randomly shown uniforms, musical devices and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed on the wall, exhibited on tables and spread out on the floor, without clarification.
“There is a nominal degree of products on the museum [that] under no circumstances stand for the greater than 100-year history from the Cape City Carnival, the investigators reported, introducing that there was “no signage outside the house the premises indicating which they housed a museum and … commonly, the museum will not appear to be open up to the public.”
The CTMCA experienced breached the grant arrangement, Dabishi Nthambeleni noted, by transferring the location with the museum to an alternative site with out notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal residence, on which no museum was ever created. Photo: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet advised the investigators which the CTMCA experienced to maneuver through the rented Crete Street premises mainly because it had run up a R4-million debt with the City of Cape Town and was scared its products might be hooked up.
“Due to the legal battles and also the debts, the organisation experienced to maneuver its home from five Crete Highway to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the assets of the organisation,” Stemmet explained to the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The existing director in the CTMCA, informed them which the two buses bought with lottery resources have been saved inside a solution area “concealed from your Sheriff”. However the investigators reported they have been not able to substantiate that any buses had ever been purchased.
Stemmet also verified which the buses were concealed to stop them staying seized. But in the event the investigators questioned to generally be taken to the location exactly where the buses had been stored, he informed them that “the owner of The trick spot was not accessible to open the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA couldn't provide evidence of payment for two motor vehicles that it allegedly acquired with grant cash,” the investigators claimed.
Soeker also advised them the Schaapkraal property had been marketed due to credit card debt.
“Mr Soeker explained that As outlined by his knowing, mainly because of the financial debt owed to the City of Cape Town, the CTMCA resolved It will be ideal to promote their [Schaapkraal] home … and also to also to cover the assets with the CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the assets.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for protection and security, has previously informed GroundUp that the CTMCA “threw income away” on litigation with the town.
“Annually like clockwork, as we solution the end in the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a lawful struggle with town, around permits or another thing. We by no means initiate it. They preserve throwing dollars away on vexatious litigation they get rid of and also have expenses awarded in opposition to them. This is certainly completely self-inflicted,” he mentioned.
Soeker instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the most crucial position gamers on issues of Lottery funding were Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who ended up in charge of every one of the admin, funds and jogging ผล สลากกินแบ่ง the CTMCA.” The investigators said they were unable to Get in touch with Momberg.
Hats
During their “investigation in loco” within the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “identified various machines, some in very good condition, some in terrible condition and several that seemed rusty and very previous”. Stemmet advised the investigators that there was also an off-web-site storage facility where by “devices and many machinery” were stored.
“We asked him to get us to the ability but he was evasive to our request.”
Depending on photos and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, Otherwise all, on the products seem like tools which was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s earlier premises. Stemmet is experiencing charges for this removal.
Based on the closing development report submitted to your NLC via the CTMCA, the equipment was acquired from Martin-Conne Milliners, a corporation wherein Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter have been directors at some time.
The investigators located this “alarming”.
“From your CIPC look for of Martin-Conne Milliners plus the invoices submitted, we Notice the subsequent alarming locating: Mr Stemmet himself is a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered tackle of the company is 5 Crete Street, Wetton, Cape City, precisely the same handle on which the museum was meant to be constructed and/or converted,” they described.
An audit by accountants Kopano Included, hooked up towards the investigative report, recorded the CTMCA was in the whole process of paying for “equipment, plant and inventory” valued at R8.1-million from Stalph 164 CC, trading as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a detailed Company of which Stemmet was amongst the administrators.
According to Dabishi Nthambeleni, the company has compensated R1.two-million being a deposit, which means R6.nine-million remains owed, while there isn't a payment date established for when this need to be paid.
The Kopano audit and the near link amongst the businesses “reveal to us that there's ‘foul play’ involved with the acquisition from the equipment of your museum workshop”, the investigators mentioned while in the report.
“We discover that it's remarkably possible that CTMCA utilized the funding on the NLC to ‘refund’ amongst its main administrators for the property at a higher overpriced charge than the actual price and value of the assets and/or machinery.”
Recommendations
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it had been not able to ascertain how the grant to the CTMCA had been spent.
“The truth is, a detailed report on how the funding on the NLC was utilized, might be unattainable given that the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or proof of payments to verify the amounts used on Every merchandise it requested funding for. The interim report and closing report of the CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators identified that the NLC had not performed a internet site take a look at in advance of approving the grant. But this wasn't common follow at time and so they located no evidence of carelessness by NLC personnel.
At time, the NLC’s principles didn't call for funded organisations to submit proof of payment with interim experiences, they pointed out. This intended that the CTMCA was ready to receive a 2nd tranche of funding without having to give evidence that it had utilised the very first tranche for its meant reason.
Following the appointment of a whole new board, commissioner and senior govt workforce, the NLC has tightened up on these along with other challenges.
Dabishi Nthambeleni suggested that
the NLC decline any long term funding applications in the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any members who were being linked to the grant be subjected to your NLC’s “delinquency” approach;
the NLC open a felony situation of fraud with SAPS or maybe the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC start off the entire process of recovering the misappropriated funds.
But, rather then act within the report’s tips, the NLC – below its former administration – chose to suppress it, since it experienced carried out Along with the earlier stories into corruption it had commissioned.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet and Soeker by means of SMS, and requested for e mail addresses to send out the thoughts by electronic mail too. But no reaction were been given at enough time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Street, Wetton. Photo: Raymond Joseph