Minstrels complete in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive Picture: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.3-million grant with the Countrywide Lotteries Fee for the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for your minstrels museum has identified no proof that a museum ever existed.
The investigators found which the CTMCA didn't make use of the R5-million allocated to purchase or create a museum.
They also uncovered the CTMCA only bought land truly worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They located the CTMCA utilized resources through the Lottery to buy workshop devices from one among its own directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how millions of rand granted for the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) by the National Lotteries Fee (NLC) to setup a museum to celebrate the city’s abundant minstrel background went astray. The museum was hardly ever designed.
The small print from the abuse of many rands of Lottery resources for just a museum that in no way was are revealed within an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Portion of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted to the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017.
The very first Element of the investigation, by regulation organization Dabishi Nthambeleni, was done between September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.three-million grant towards the CTMCA in 2014, which provided funding to the museum. The approved budget for your museum was a lot more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allotted for a setting up to accommodate the museum.
Go through the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to analyze the purchase of a constructing to the museum and if the museum “actually existed”.
The organization was also instructed to research
the acquisition with Lottery funds of two vehicles – a 60-seater bus along with a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
many equipment “purchased with the producing with the costumes and hats” to the minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director of 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 many administrators of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in May perhaps 2021.
The investigation adopted in depth reporting by GroundUp concerning the numerous rands of Lottery funding allocated for the CTMCA (see listed here, listed here and below) and the way in which the money most likely helped finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign from the Western Cape, led by at time by Marius Fransman.
The creating on the proper was the meant internet site from the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial location in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to a Parliamentary problem, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane shown grants to 3 CTMCA “tasks” - including the museum - concerning 2012 and 2015. All three tasks had been concluded, she told MPs.
Even so the investigators uncovered no evidence that a museum experienced at any time existed.
At the outset the museum was due to open up in rented premises in Crete Highway, Wetton. A photograph acquired by GroundUp in the supposed Wetton museum exhibits a espresso shop with some musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of images haphazardly hung about the partitions, and also a design ship on its plinth in a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni reported it had been “not ready” to verify if a museum experienced ever operated from these premises.
Stemmet advised the investigators the museum were moved given that they could now not manage the hire of R100,000 per month. He stated the CTMCA had ordered property for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal to the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and had been marketed for a similar selling price. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-city space considerably from town.
As a result, the museum were moved to a completely new locale in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet explained to the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But just after traveling to the premises, which might be in an industrial space, the investigators claimed they doubted irrespective of whether a correct museum existed there. Photos connected to the report demonstrate a mishmash of randomly exhibited uniforms, musical instruments and diverse minstrel paraphernalia nailed to your wall, displayed on tables and spread out on the floor, without rationalization.
“There's a nominal number of merchandise in the museum [that] by no means symbolize the in excess of one hundred-yr historical past in the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators said, introducing that there was “no signage exterior the premises indicating that they housed a museum and … generally, the museum would not glance to get open to the public.”
The CTMCA experienced breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni pointed out, by relocating The situation in the museum to another place devoid of notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal property, on which no museum was ever designed. Image: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet informed the investigators the CTMCA had to move with the rented Crete Highway premises mainly because it experienced operate up a R4-million credit card debt with the town of Cape City and was fearful its devices could well be hooked up.
“Mainly because of the authorized battles along with the debts, the organisation experienced to move its residence from five Crete Street to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the home of the organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The present director in the CTMCA, advised them which the two buses purchased with lottery cash were stored in the top secret site “hidden from your Sheriff”. Although the investigators said they have been unable to confirm that any buses experienced at any time been bought.
Stemmet also confirmed the buses were hidden to prevent them currently being seized. But when the investigators requested to generally be taken to the place where by the buses had been saved, he instructed them that “the operator of The trick place was not accessible to open the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA couldn't give proof of payment for 2 autos that it allegedly ordered with grant cash,” the investigators described.
Soeker also instructed them the Schaapkraal house had been marketed due to debt.
“Mr Soeker explained that As outlined by his understanding, because of the debt owed to the City of Cape City, the CTMCA made a decision It could be very best to sell their [Schaapkraal] property … and also to also to cover the property of the CTMCA to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the house.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for safety and protection, has previously instructed GroundUp which the CTMCA “threw funds away” on litigation with the town.
“Yearly like clockwork, as we strategy the tip in the yr, the CTMCA picks a legal fight with town, about permits or another thing. We under no circumstances initiate it. They retain throwing income absent on vexatious litigation which they get rid of and have prices awarded in opposition to them. This is totally self-inflicted,” he stated.
Soeker advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the leading job gamers on problems with Lottery funding had been Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who had been in command of all the admin, funds and operating ตรวจ หวย ย้อน หลัง the CTMCA.” The investigators said they had been unable to Make contact with Momberg.
Hats
All through their “investigation in loco” at the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “discovered many machines, some in excellent problem, some in undesirable issue and many that seemed rusty and very previous”. Stemmet informed the investigators that there was also an off-web page storage facility the place “devices and several equipment” had been saved.
“We asked him to just take us to the power but he was evasive to our request.”
Based upon photos and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, in the goods look like equipment which was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s previous premises. Stemmet is dealing with expenses for this elimination.
Based on the last progress report submitted to the NLC by the CTMCA, the equipment was ordered from Martin-Conne Milliners, a business through which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter were being directors at some time.
The investigators observed this “alarming”.
“From your CIPC search of Martin-Conne Milliners plus the invoices submitted, we Be aware the next alarming discovering: Mr Stemmet himself is often a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the corporate is five Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape City, precisely the same tackle on which the museum was meant to be built and/or converted,” they noted.
An audit by accountants Kopano Incorporated, connected to your investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the whole process of obtaining “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.1-million from Stalph 164 CC, investing as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was an in depth corporation of which Stemmet was among the directors.
According to Dabishi Nthambeleni, the corporation has paid out R1.two-million for a deposit, which means R6.nine-million continues to be owed, though there is no payment date established for when this should be paid out.
The Kopano audit and also the near connection in between the companies “point out to us that there's ‘foul play’ involved in the purchase in the machinery on the museum workshop”, the investigators claimed during the report.
“We discover that it's remarkably possible that CTMCA utilised the funding on the NLC to ‘refund’ considered one of its key directors for your property at the next overpriced amount than the actual price and price of the home and/or equipment.”
Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it absolutely was unable to determine how the grant on the CTMCA were put in.
“In reality, a detailed report on how the funding of your NLC was employed, could well be unattainable as being the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to confirm the amounts put in on Just about every product it asked for funding for. The interim report and remaining report of the CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators discovered that the NLC experienced not done a web page visit before approving the grant. But this wasn't common follow at the time they usually observed no evidence of carelessness by NLC personnel.
At the time, the NLC’s procedures did not involve funded organisations to submit evidence of payment with interim reviews, they identified. This intended that the CTMCA was ready to receive a 2nd tranche of funding without the need to supply evidence that it experienced made use of the initial tranche for its meant intent.
Following the appointment of a whole new board, commissioner and senior government staff, the NLC has tightened up on these and other problems.
Dabishi Nthambeleni suggested that
the NLC decline any long term funding applications from the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who ended up associated with the grant be subjected towards the NLC’s “delinquency” process;
the NLC open up a criminal circumstance of fraud with SAPS or even the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC begin the entire process of recovering the misappropriated funds.
But, in lieu of act around the report’s suggestions, the NLC – less than its earlier administration – selected to suppress it, mainly because it had completed While using the prior studies into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp despatched issues to Stemmet and Soeker by using SMS, and questioned for electronic mail addresses to mail the questions by email too. But no reaction were gained at time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Road, Wetton. Photo: Raymond Joseph