Minstrels execute in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive Image: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.3-million grant with the Nationwide Lotteries Fee towards the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for your minstrels museum has found no evidence that a museum ever existed.
The investigators discovered which the CTMCA did not make use of the R5-million allotted to get or establish a museum.
Additionally they found the CTMCA only purchased land worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They identified the CTMCA made use of funds from your Lottery to get workshop devices from one of its personal directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how countless rand granted towards the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) with the National Lotteries Fee (NLC) to arrange a museum to rejoice the city’s rich minstrel history went astray. The museum was in no way designed.
The main points of the abuse of numerous rands of Lottery money for your museum that in no way was are discovered within an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted towards the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017.
The very first Portion of the investigation, by law agency Dabishi Nthambeleni, was conducted among September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.3-million grant into the CTMCA in 2014, which incorporated funding to the museum. The authorised spending budget for the museum was over R12.8-million, with R5-million of that allotted for just a building to house the museum.
Study the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the acquisition of the developing for that museum and if the museum “actually existed”.
The company was also instructed to research
the purchase with Lottery resources of two cars – a sixty-seater bus as well as a 23-seater bus – for R2.four-million; and
several machines “bought for that production of the costumes and hats” for that minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At the time, convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director of your 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 various administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in May 2021.
The investigation adopted substantial reporting by GroundUp about the numerous rands of Lottery funding allotted for the CTMCA (see listed here, right here and right here) and the way the resources almost certainly helped finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign inside the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.
The making on the appropriate was the supposed site in the minstrels’ museum, in the middle of an industrial spot in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photo: Raymond Joseph
In response to some Parliamentary problem, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane outlined grants to three CTMCA “tasks” - including the museum - in between 2012 and 2015. All a few initiatives had been accomplished, she advised MPs.
Though the investigators uncovered no evidence that a museum had at any time existed.
At first the museum was due to open up in rented premises in Crete Street, Wetton. A photo obtained by GroundUp of the intended Wetton museum exhibits a espresso store with some musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of pictures haphazardly hung within the walls, and a model ship on its plinth inside of a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni mentioned it absolutely was “not in a position” to verify if a museum experienced ever operated from these premises.
Stemmet told the investigators the museum had been moved because they could no longer manage the lease of R100,000 a month. He reported the CTMCA had bought house for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal to the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and were sold for the same value. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-city space far from town.
As a result, the museum were moved to a fresh spot in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet explained to the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But after visiting the premises, which happen to be in an industrial space, the investigators claimed they doubted no matter whether a correct museum existed there. Pics hooked up to your report demonstrate a mishmash of randomly displayed uniforms, musical instruments and diverse minstrel paraphernalia nailed for the wall, shown on tables and distribute out on the ground, without any clarification.
“You will find a small quantity of objects in the museum [that] in no way characterize the greater than 100-year background on the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators stated, adding that there was “no signage outside the house the premises indicating they housed a museum and … typically, the museum would not seem to be open to the general public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant settlement, Dabishi Nthambeleni observed, by shifting The placement of the museum to an alternate site with no notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal property, on which no museum was ever developed. Picture: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet told the investigators that the CTMCA had to maneuver in the rented Crete Road premises because it experienced operate up a R4-million credit card debt with the City of Cape Town and was concerned its tools could be attached.
“Because of the lawful battles and the debts, the organisation experienced to maneuver its property from 5 Crete Street to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the property on the organisation,” Stemmet told the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The present director with the CTMCA, advised them the two buses purchased with lottery cash were stored within a mystery spot “hidden through the Sheriff”. Although the investigators claimed they have been unable to substantiate that any buses had at any time been bought.
Stemmet also verified that the buses had been concealed to stop them remaining seized. But once the investigators requested to become taken to your place the place the buses had been saved, he informed them that “the operator of The trick location wasn't accessible to open up the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA couldn't offer proof of payment for 2 cars that it allegedly procured with grant cash,” the investigators noted.
Soeker also informed them the Schaapkraal home were bought due to credit card debt.
“Mr Soeker described that As outlined by his comprehension, a result of the debt owed to town of Cape Town, the CTMCA made a decision It might be best to market their [Schaapkraal] assets … and to also to hide the property of the CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the house.”
JP Smith, Cape City’s mayco member for protection and stability, has previously explained to GroundUp the CTMCA “threw cash absent” on litigation with the City.
“Annually like clockwork, as we strategy the top in the year, the CTMCA picks a lawful battle with town, more than permits or something else. We hardly ever initiate it. They maintain throwing funds away on vexatious litigation that they drop and also have costs awarded against them. This is often fully self-inflicted,” he claimed.
Soeker explained to the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the primary part players on issues of Lottery funding were Stemmet and previous CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who had been in command of each of the admin, funds and functioning cat888 the CTMCA.” The investigators claimed they had been not able to Get in touch with Momberg.
Hats
In the course of their “investigation in loco” in the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “discovered numerous devices, some in superior affliction, some in undesirable problem and some that seemed rusty and intensely old”. Stemmet instructed the investigators that there was also an off-website storage facility wherever “devices and some machinery” were held.
“We questioned him to acquire us to the power but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Determined by photos and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, of the products seem like products that was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s prior premises. Stemmet is dealing with charges for this removing.
Based on the final development report submitted on the NLC because of the CTMCA, the machinery was ordered from Martin-Conne Milliners, a company where Stemmet, his wife and his daughter were being directors at time.
The investigators observed this “alarming”.
“Within the CIPC search of Martin-Conne Milliners along with the invoices submitted, we Observe the subsequent alarming finding: Mr Stemmet himself is really a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the organization is five Crete Street, Wetton, Cape Town, exactly the same handle on which the museum was intended to be developed and/or transformed,” they described.
An audit by accountants Kopano Incorporated, hooked up on the investigative report, recorded that the CTMCA was in the whole process of acquiring “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 amongst the directors.
Based on Dabishi Nthambeleni, the company has compensated R1.two-million as being a deposit, that means R6.9-million remains to be owed, while there isn't any payment date established for when this must be paid.
The Kopano audit as well as the near backlink between the companies “reveal to us that there is ‘foul Participate in’ involved with the acquisition in the equipment of your museum workshop”, the investigators explained inside the report.
“We discover that it is hugely probable that CTMCA utilised the funding from the NLC to ‘refund’ amongst its primary administrators with the house at an increased overpriced rate than the actual cost and value of the home and/or machinery.”
Recommendations
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it was not able to determine how the grant to your CTMCA were put in.
“Actually, a detailed report on how the funding of the NLC was used, could well be unachievable as being the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or evidence of payments to confirm the quantities invested on Each individual merchandise it asked for funding for. The interim report and last report with the CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators located which the NLC had not carried out a site check out right before approving the grant. But this was not regular follow at enough time they usually uncovered no proof of carelessness by NLC workforce.
At some time, the NLC’s guidelines didn't require funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim studies, they pointed out. This intended the CTMCA was capable to receive a next tranche of funding without the need to present proof that it experienced applied the primary tranche for its intended reason.
Subsequent the appointment of a brand new board, commissioner and senior government team, the NLC has tightened up on these and various concerns.
Dabishi Nthambeleni proposed that
the NLC decline any foreseeable future funding purposes in the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any associates who ended up linked to the grant be subjected to the NLC’s “delinquency” method;
the NLC open a legal situation of fraud with SAPS or even the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC commence the entire process of recovering the misappropriated funds.
But, instead of act around the report’s tips, the NLC – underneath its preceding administration – chose to suppress it, mainly because it had done While using the past reviews into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp despatched inquiries to Stemmet and Soeker via SMS, and requested for electronic mail addresses to deliver the issues by email way too. But no reaction were obtained at time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Street, Wetton. Picture: Raymond Joseph
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