Minstrels perform in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive Image: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni right into a R27.3-million grant by the National Lotteries Commission for the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) for a minstrels museum has located no evidence that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators identified which the CTMCA didn't utilize the R5-million allocated to purchase or make a museum.
They also located the CTMCA only purchased land truly worth R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They identified the CTMCA utilised money with the Lottery to get workshop devices from one among its have directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how an incredible number of rand granted to your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) via the National Lotteries Fee (NLC) to setup a museum to celebrate the town’s wealthy minstrel record went astray. The museum was hardly ever established.
The small print in the abuse of a lot of rands of Lottery money for any museum that by no means was are exposed in an investigative report commissioned by the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Element of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allocated for the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017.
The main Component of the investigation, by legislation company Dabishi Nthambeleni, was executed concerning September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.three-million grant towards the CTMCA in 2014, which incorporated funding for your museum. The accredited funds for your museum was much more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allotted to get a constructing to accommodate the museum.
Read the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the purchase of the developing with the museum and whether the museum “truly existed”.
The business was also instructed to research
the acquisition with Lottery money of two cars – a 60-seater bus and a 23-seater bus – for R2.four-million; and
many equipment “acquired for that manufacturing of the costumes and hats” for that minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At some time, convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director of 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 many directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in May possibly 2021.
The investigation adopted in depth reporting by GroundUp with regard to the many rands of Lottery funding allotted to the CTMCA (see in this article, right here and here) and just how the cash likely aided finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign within the Western Cape, led by at enough time by Marius Fransman.
The setting up on the proper was the supposed internet site of your minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial region in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Photo: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to your Parliamentary dilemma, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane shown grants to three CTMCA “projects” - such as the museum - involving 2012 and 2015. All 3 assignments had been completed, she instructed MPs.
Although the investigators located no evidence that a museum had at any time existed.
To start with the museum was as a result of open up in rented premises in Crete Highway, Wetton. A photo received by GroundUp of your supposed Wetton museum reveals a espresso shop with some musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of images haphazardly hung within the walls, and also a product ship on its plinth inside a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni mentioned it was “not in a position” to confirm if a museum experienced at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet instructed the investigators the museum were moved because they could no longer afford the hire of R100,000 a month. He mentioned the CTMCA had purchased assets for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal for the museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and had been marketed for the same rate. Schaapkraal is in the peri-city spot far from the city.
Subsequently, the museum had been moved to a different place in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But following browsing the premises, which are in an industrial location, the investigators claimed they doubted regardless of whether a suitable museum existed there. Images hooked up to your report clearly show a mishmash of randomly shown uniforms, musical instruments and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed to the wall, shown on tables and spread out on the ground, with no rationalization.
“You will find a nominal quantity of merchandise with the museum [that] in no way characterize the over a hundred-year record in the Cape City Carnival, the investigators said, including that there was “no signage exterior the premises indicating which they housed a museum and … generally, the museum will not seem to be open to the public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant settlement, Dabishi Nthambeleni observed, by moving the location in the museum to an alternative locale devoid of notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal home, on which no museum was at any time constructed. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet told the investigators the CTMCA had to maneuver from your rented Crete Highway premises because it experienced operate up a R4-million debt with the City of Cape City and was frightened its gear can be connected.
“As a result of lawful battles as well as the debts, the organisation had to move its home from 5 Crete Road to avoid the sheriff from attaching the property with the organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The existing director of the CTMCA, instructed them which the two buses acquired with lottery money had been stored in a key site “concealed from the Sheriff”. Nevertheless the investigators stated they were being unable to confirm that any buses had ever been acquired.
Stemmet also confirmed that the buses had been hidden to halt them becoming seized. But when the investigators requested to get taken to your put where by the buses were being stored, he advised them that “the proprietor of The key site wasn't available to open up the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not provide proof of payment for two cars that it allegedly acquired with grant funds,” the investigators reported.
Soeker also instructed them the Schaapkraal home were bought due to the credit card debt.
“Mr Soeker described that In accordance with his comprehension, due to the personal debt owed to the town of Cape Town, the CTMCA made the decision It might be greatest to offer their [Schaapkraal] house … and to also to cover the property from the CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the residence.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for safety and protection, has Beforehand informed GroundUp the CTMCA “threw funds absent” on litigation with the City.
“Every year like clockwork, as we tactic the top on the calendar year, the CTMCA picks a authorized fight with the City, about permits or something else. We under no circumstances initiate it. They maintain throwing funds away on vexatious litigation which they get rid of and also have expenditures awarded versus them. This is entirely self-inflicted,” he said.
Soeker informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the principle position players on problems with Lottery funding have been Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were being in charge of all of the admin, funds and jogging ltpbet the CTMCA.” The investigators claimed they had been unable to Make contact with Momberg.
Hats
Throughout their “investigation in loco” at the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “observed several equipment, some in great affliction, some in poor issue plus some that looked rusty and very outdated”. Stemmet instructed the investigators that there was also an off-website storage facility the place “devices plus some equipment” were being kept.
“We questioned him to choose us to the power but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Determined by images and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, from the merchandise look like tools that was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s earlier premises. Stemmet is facing rates for this removal.
In accordance with the ultimate development report submitted towards the NLC via the CTMCA, the machinery was procured from Martin-Conne Milliners, an organization in which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter ended up administrators at the time.
The investigators identified this “alarming”.
“With the CIPC look for of Martin-Conne Milliners and also the invoices submitted, we Notice the next alarming obtaining: Mr Stemmet himself is usually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered handle of the corporation is five Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape Town, precisely the same deal with on which the museum was intended to be built and/or transformed,” they documented.
An audit by accountants Kopano Incorporated, connected for the investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the entire process of purchasing “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.one-million from Stalph 164 CC, trading as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors.
Based on Dabishi Nthambeleni, the corporate has paid R1.2-million to be a deposit, which means R6.9-million remains to be owed, while there's no payment date set for when this should be paid.
The Kopano audit as well as the close website link among the companies “suggest to us that there's ‘foul Engage in’ involved in the acquisition on the machinery with the museum workshop”, the investigators explained from the report.
“We find that it's hugely probable that CTMCA used the funding with the NLC to ‘refund’ one among its primary administrators for the house at the next overpriced fee than the particular rate and value of the home and/or equipment.”
Tips
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it was unable to establish how the grant for the CTMCA had been invested.
“Actually, a detailed report on how the funding in the NLC was applied, could well be unachievable given that the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to substantiate the quantities invested on Every product it requested funding for. The interim report and final report with the CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators observed that the NLC experienced not conducted a web page check out prior to approving the grant. But this was not standard follow at some time and they identified no proof of carelessness by NLC employees.
At the time, the NLC’s principles didn't call for funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim stories, they identified. This meant that the CTMCA was capable to receive a second tranche of funding while not having to give proof that it had made use of the main tranche for its meant goal.
Subsequent the appointment of a new board, commissioner and senior govt crew, the NLC has tightened up on these together with other troubles.
Dabishi Nthambeleni suggested that
the NLC drop any potential funding purposes through the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who have been involved in the grant be subjected for the NLC’s “delinquency” system;
the NLC open up a prison case of fraud with SAPS or even the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC commence the entire process of recovering the misappropriated cash.
But, rather than act on the report’s recommendations, the NLC – below its earlier administration – chose to suppress it, as it experienced finished with the former stories into corruption it had commissioned.
GroundUp despatched issues to Stemmet and Soeker by using SMS, and requested for email addresses to send out the queries by electronic mail way too. But no reaction had been gained at the time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Street, Wetton. Image: Raymond Joseph
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