Minstrels perform in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive Image: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.three-million grant from the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for your minstrels museum has found no proof that a museum ever existed.
The investigators uncovered that the CTMCA did not make use of the R5-million allocated to obtain or create a museum.
Additionally they observed that the CTMCA only purchased land really worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They located the CTMCA used money from the Lottery to purchase workshop tools from one of its very own administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how countless rand granted into the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) through the Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) to build a museum to rejoice the city’s wealthy minstrel historical past went astray. The museum was never ever developed.
The details with the abuse of numerous rands of Lottery resources for the museum that by no means was are disclosed in an investigative report commissioned via the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Section of more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated on the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017.
The primary Element of the investigation, by legislation organization Dabishi Nthambeleni, was performed concerning September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.3-million grant on the CTMCA in 2014, which provided funding for your museum. The authorized spending plan for that museum was over R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allocated for your developing to accommodate the museum.
Study the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the acquisition of the creating for that museum and whether or not the museum “basically existed”.
The firm was also instructed to research
the acquisition with Lottery resources of two motor vehicles – a sixty-seater bus along with a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
several machines “bought with the manufacturing with the costumes and hats” with the minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At the time, convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director with 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 administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in May perhaps 2021.
The investigation followed considerable reporting by GroundUp regarding the a lot of rands of Lottery funding allocated for the CTMCA (see here, in this article and right here) and the way the money probably assisted finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign during the Western Cape, led by at enough time by Marius Fransman.
The developing on the best was the meant web page in the minstrels’ museum, in the midst of an industrial region in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Picture: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to the Parliamentary problem, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane listed grants to a few CTMCA “projects” - including the museum - involving 2012 and 2015. All three jobs had been completed, she explained to MPs.
Though the investigators uncovered no proof that a museum experienced ever existed.
In the beginning the museum was on account of open up in rented premises in Crete Street, Wetton. A photo acquired by GroundUp in the supposed Wetton museum shows a coffee shop with some musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of images haphazardly hung about the walls, in addition to a product ship on its plinth in a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni stated it was “not able” to confirm if a museum had ever operated from these premises.
Stemmet told the investigators the museum were moved because they could now not afford the rent of R100,000 a month. He reported the CTMCA had purchased house for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal for that museum, but could not get it rezoned, and had been marketed for the same price tag. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-city place far from the town.
Consequently, the museum had been moved to a new locale in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But immediately after viewing the premises, that happen to be in an industrial place, the investigators reported they doubted whether or not a correct museum existed there. Pictures connected for the report show a mishmash of randomly shown uniforms, musical devices and diverse minstrel paraphernalia nailed to your wall, displayed on tables and distribute out on the floor, with no explanation.
“You will find there's minimum amount of products with the museum [that] under no circumstances depict the more than a hundred-calendar year background in the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators explained, incorporating that there was “no signage exterior the premises indicating that they housed a museum and … typically, the museum isn't going to glance to get open up to the public.”
The CTMCA experienced breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni observed, by shifting the location on the museum to an alternative site without the need of notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal assets, on which no museum was at any time constructed. Image: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet informed the investigators the CTMCA had to move within the rented Crete Road premises because it had operate up a R4-million credit card debt with town of Cape City and was fearful its products will be attached.
“Because of the lawful battles along with the debts, the organisation experienced to move its house from five Crete Highway to avoid the sheriff from attaching the home on the organisation,” Stemmet told the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, the current director in the CTMCA, instructed them which the two buses acquired with lottery resources were being saved in a very top secret locale “concealed with the Sheriff”. Nevertheless the investigators mentioned they had been unable to confirm that any buses experienced at any time been bought.
Stemmet also verified the buses had been concealed to prevent them becoming seized. But in the event the investigators requested to become taken towards the put in which the buses were saved, he explained to them that “the proprietor of The trick place was not accessible to open the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not present evidence of payment for 2 vehicles that it allegedly acquired with grant cash,” the investigators documented.
Soeker also explained to them the Schaapkraal home had been marketed due to debt.
“Mr Soeker discussed that In accordance with his comprehending, mainly because of the credit card debt owed to the town of Cape Town, the CTMCA made the decision It could be ideal to promote their [Schaapkraal] property … and also to also to hide the property from the CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the house.”
JP Smith, Cape City’s mayco member for security and protection, has Beforehand instructed GroundUp which the CTMCA “threw money away” on litigation with the City.
“Every year like clockwork, as we strategy the tip of the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a lawful fight with the City, above permits or something else. We by no means initiate it. They preserve throwing funds away on vexatious litigation which they lose and possess costs awarded from them. This really is completely self-inflicted,” he mentioned.
Soeker advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the leading purpose gamers on issues of Lottery funding ended up Stemmet and previous CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were being in control of every one of the admin, funds and managing เช ค หวย the CTMCA.” The investigators reported they were not able to Make contact with Momberg.
Hats
For the duration of their “investigation in loco” in the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “found various devices, some in superior problem, some in terrible problem plus some that seemed rusty and extremely previous”. Stemmet explained to the investigators that there was also an off-website storage facility wherever “devices and several machinery” were being stored.
“We requested him to consider us to the facility but he was evasive to our request.”
Based upon pictures and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, in the goods look like machines that was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s past premises. Stemmet is facing expenses for this removal.
In accordance with the final progress report submitted to the NLC via the CTMCA, the machinery was acquired from Martin-Conne Milliners, a company during which Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter were administrators at enough time.
The investigators uncovered this “alarming”.
“With the CIPC research of Martin-Conne Milliners along with the invoices submitted, we Notice the subsequent alarming acquiring: Mr Stemmet himself is actually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered handle of the corporate is 5 Crete Road, Wetton, Cape City, the same tackle on which the museum was intended to be designed and/or transformed,” they documented.
An audit by accountants Kopano Included, attached to your investigative report, recorded that the CTMCA was in the process of getting “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.1-million from Stalph 164 CC, buying and selling as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a detailed Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators.
In line with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has paid R1.two-million to be a deposit, this means R6.nine-million is still owed, while there is absolutely no payment date set for when this need to be compensated.
The Kopano audit and also the close backlink concerning the businesses “suggest to us that there's ‘foul play’ involved in the purchase from the machinery of your museum workshop”, the investigators reported within the report.
“We find that it is highly possible that CTMCA used the funding of your NLC to ‘refund’ considered one of its most important administrators for that property at an increased overpriced price than the actual rate and value of the house and/or equipment.”
Tips
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it was unable to ascertain how the grant to your CTMCA were put in.
“In point of fact, a detailed report on how the funding on the NLC was utilized, could well be unachievable as the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or proof of payments to substantiate the quantities used on Each and every merchandise it requested funding for. The interim report and last report with the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators observed the NLC had not performed a web site pay a visit to prior to approving the grant. But this wasn't conventional follow at the time plus they discovered no proof of carelessness by NLC personnel.
At some time, the NLC’s policies didn't require funded organisations to submit evidence of payment with interim experiences, they pointed out. This meant the CTMCA was in a position to get a 2nd tranche of funding without the need to supply proof that it had utilised the main tranche for its supposed intent.
Following the appointment of a fresh board, commissioner and senior executive workforce, the NLC has tightened up on these and also other problems.
Dabishi Nthambeleni proposed that
the NLC decrease any long run funding apps in the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any members who were being associated with the grant be subjected to the NLC’s “delinquency” system;
the NLC open a criminal circumstance of fraud with SAPS or the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC start off the process of recovering the misappropriated money.
But, instead of act over the report’s recommendations, the NLC – beneath its former administration – chose to suppress it, because it had performed While using the previous reports into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet and Soeker by means of SMS, and asked for e-mail addresses to send the questions by electronic mail also. But no response had been received at time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Highway, Wetton. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
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