Minstrels execute in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive Picture: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.3-million grant by the National Lotteries Fee into the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) for the minstrels museum has located no proof that a museum ever existed.
The investigators found the CTMCA didn't utilize the R5-million allocated to obtain or develop a museum.
Additionally they uncovered that the CTMCA only bought land value R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They uncovered the CTMCA employed funds from the Lottery to invest in workshop tools from considered one of its personal directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how many rand granted into the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) because of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) to create a museum to rejoice the town’s wealthy minstrel history went astray. The museum was under no circumstances made.
The small print in the abuse of countless rands of Lottery resources for your museum that by no means was are revealed in an investigative report commissioned through the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Component of over R64-million in Lottery cash allocated for the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017.
The 1st Portion of the investigation, by regulation agency Dabishi Nthambeleni, was done involving September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.three-million grant to your CTMCA in 2014, which bundled funding with the museum. The authorised spending plan for the museum was over R12.8-million, with R5-million of that allocated for a building to accommodate the museum.
Examine the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the purchase of the developing with the museum and whether the museum “truly existed”.
The business was also instructed to analyze
the purchase with Lottery resources of two automobiles – a 60-seater bus and a 23-seater bus – for R2.four-million; and
numerous machines “acquired for that production from the costumes and hats” with the minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At the time, convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director of the CTMCA. He was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of quite a few directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in Might 2021.
The investigation adopted intensive reporting by GroundUp with regards to the numerous rands of Lottery funding allocated on the CTMCA (see in this article, here and below) and the best way the money probably served finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign within the Western Cape, led by at time by Marius Fransman.
The creating on the appropriate was the intended web-site from the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial spot in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to a Parliamentary concern, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane mentioned grants to 3 CTMCA “tasks” - including the museum - among 2012 and 2015. All 3 jobs were finished, she advised MPs.
Though the investigators found no proof that a museum had at any time existed.
At first the museum was due to open up in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photo obtained by GroundUp of your meant Wetton museum exhibits a espresso shop with some musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of pics haphazardly hung about the walls, in addition to a design ship on its plinth inside of a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni said it had been “not able” to substantiate if a museum experienced ever operated from these premises.
Stemmet informed the investigators the museum were moved given that they could not find the money for the lease of R100,000 a month. He stated the CTMCA experienced procured residence for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal for your museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and had been bought for a similar price tag. Schaapkraal is within a peri-urban area considerably from the town.
Consequently, the museum were moved to a brand new site in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But following going to the premises, which can be in an industrial space, the investigators explained they doubted no matter whether a correct museum existed there. Pics hooked up towards the report exhibit a mishmash of randomly shown uniforms, musical instruments and various minstrel paraphernalia nailed for the wall, exhibited on tables and distribute out on the floor, without any rationalization.
“There is a minimum volume of objects with the museum [that] by no means depict the more than 100-year background from the Cape City Carnival, the investigators explained, incorporating that there was “no signage exterior the premises indicating they housed a museum and … commonly, the museum would not glance to get open up to the public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni famous, by going the location on the museum to another locale with no notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal home, on which no museum was ever created. Image: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet instructed the investigators which the CTMCA had to maneuver through the rented Crete Street premises mainly because it had run up a R4-million credit card debt with town of Cape Town and was frightened its gear could be attached.
“Due to the legal battles as well as debts, the organisation experienced to move its property from five Crete Street to avoid the sheriff from attaching the property of your organisation,” Stemmet explained to the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The existing director of your CTMCA, advised them which the two buses purchased with lottery cash were stored in a very top secret locale “hidden from the Sheriff”. Nevertheless the investigators said they were being not able to verify that any buses had at any time been acquired.
Stemmet also confirmed which the buses were hidden to prevent them currently being seized. But if the investigators requested to generally be taken towards the area the place the buses were being stored, he instructed them that “the proprietor of The trick locale wasn't available to open up the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not give proof of payment for two cars that it allegedly ordered with grant money,” the investigators noted.
Soeker also explained to them the Schaapkraal residence had been bought as a result of financial debt.
“Mr Soeker discussed that Based on his being familiar with, mainly because of the personal debt owed to the City of Cape Town, the CTMCA determined It could be ideal to market their [Schaapkraal] house … and to also to cover the property on the CTMCA to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the residence.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for security and stability, has Beforehand explained to GroundUp the CTMCA “threw income away” on litigation with town.
“Each year like clockwork, as we solution the tip in the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a legal combat with town, around permits or another thing. We never ever initiate it. They maintain throwing funds absent on vexatious litigation they eliminate and possess prices awarded against them. This can be totally self-inflicted,” he mentioned.
Soeker informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the key function players on problems with Lottery funding have been Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were being in control of all of the admin, funds and working luckyvip77 the CTMCA.” The investigators said they were unable to contact Momberg.
Hats
During their “investigation in loco” for the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “located many devices, some in great ailment, some in undesirable condition and several that looked rusty and very aged”. Stemmet informed the investigators that there was also an off-web page storage facility in which “devices and many equipment” were being stored.
“We requested him to take us to the power but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Dependant on pictures and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, from the products appear to be equipment which was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s previous premises. Stemmet is struggling with rates for this elimination.
In accordance with the ultimate progress report submitted to your NLC through the CTMCA, the equipment was bought from Martin-Conne Milliners, a corporation during which Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter have been administrators at the time.
The investigators located this “alarming”.
“From the CIPC lookup of Martin-Conne Milliners as well as invoices submitted, we Be aware the following alarming locating: Mr Stemmet himself is usually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the company is five Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape City, the same handle on which the museum was meant to be built and/or transformed,” they reported.
An audit by accountants Kopano Integrated, attached towards the investigative report, recorded that the CTMCA was in the whole process of obtaining “machinery, 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 among the administrators.
According to Dabishi Nthambeleni, the corporate has paid R1.two-million as being a deposit, indicating R6.nine-million continues to be owed, nevertheless there is absolutely no payment day established for when this should be paid.
The Kopano audit along with the near url involving the companies “show to us that there is ‘foul Participate in’ involved with the purchase of the equipment with the museum workshop”, the investigators explained inside the report.
“We find that it is highly possible that CTMCA utilized the funding of the NLC to ‘refund’ amongst its major administrators for your assets at a better overpriced rate than the actual price tag and worth of the assets and/or machinery.”
Recommendations
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it was unable to establish how the grant for the CTMCA were put in.
“In point of fact, an in depth report on how the funding of your NLC was used, could be unattainable since the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or evidence of payments to verify the amounts spent on Every item it asked for funding for. The interim report and last report of the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators located that the NLC experienced not conducted a web page pay a visit to before approving the grant. But this was not conventional follow at some time and so they uncovered no evidence of negligence by NLC staff members.
At some time, the NLC’s guidelines did not call for funded organisations to submit proof of payment with interim studies, they pointed out. This meant that the CTMCA was capable of receive a next tranche of funding without having to provide evidence that it had utilised the primary tranche for its meant purpose.
Next the appointment of a completely new board, commissioner and senior government workforce, the NLC has tightened up on these and various difficulties.
Dabishi Nthambeleni advised that
the NLC drop any potential funding applications through the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any associates who ended up involved in the grant be subjected on the NLC’s “delinquency” process;
the NLC open a criminal situation of fraud with SAPS or maybe the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC begin the process of recovering the misappropriated funds.
But, instead of act about the report’s suggestions, the NLC – below its earlier administration – chose to suppress it, as it experienced performed Along with the preceding studies into corruption it had commissioned.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet and Soeker by way of SMS, and questioned for email addresses to mail the queries by e mail as well. But no reaction were obtained at some time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Highway, Wetton. Photo: Raymond Joseph
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