Minstrels execute in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive Photograph: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni right into a R27.three-million grant via the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for your minstrels museum has discovered no evidence that a museum ever existed.
The investigators located which the CTMCA didn't utilize the R5-million allocated to obtain or produce a museum.
Additionally they discovered the CTMCA only bought land worthy of R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They located the CTMCA used money within the Lottery to purchase workshop equipment from one among its individual administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how numerous rand granted on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) through the Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) to create a museum to celebrate the city’s rich minstrel background went astray. The museum was never created.
The main points of the abuse of a lot of rands of Lottery cash for the museum that never ever was are exposed in an investigative report commissioned with the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Portion of more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated for the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017.
The initial part of the investigation, by law agency Dabishi Nthambeleni, was done in between September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.3-million grant to the CTMCA in 2014, which integrated funding for the museum. The approved spending plan for your museum was greater than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allotted to get a setting up to house the museum.
Go through the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to analyze the purchase of a creating for your museum and if the museum “basically existed”.
The agency was also instructed to research
the acquisition with Lottery cash of two cars – a sixty-seater bus and a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
different equipment “procured with the production of the costumes and hats” for that minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director of your CTMCA. He was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing as two of numerous administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in May possibly 2021.
The investigation adopted in depth reporting by GroundUp regarding the countless rands of Lottery funding allotted on the CTMCA (see below, right here and listed here) and the way the cash almost certainly aided finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign inside the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.
The creating on the appropriate was the supposed site of the minstrels’ museum, in the midst of an industrial area in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photo: Raymond Joseph
In response to some Parliamentary problem, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane shown grants to a few CTMCA “jobs” - including the museum - among 2012 and 2015. All a few initiatives had been concluded, she informed MPs.
But the investigators uncovered no evidence that a museum had ever existed.
In the beginning the museum was due to open in rented premises in Crete Street, Wetton. A photograph received by GroundUp of the supposed Wetton museum exhibits a coffee shop with some musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of photographs haphazardly hung about the walls, plus a design ship on its plinth in the corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni explained it had been “not in a position” to substantiate if a museum experienced ever operated from these premises.
Stemmet told the investigators the museum were moved mainly because they could no more manage the rent of R100,000 a month. He stated the CTMCA experienced bought assets for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal with the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and were bought for the same selling price. Schaapkraal is within a peri-city area much from town.
Consequently, the museum had been moved to a different location in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But immediately after visiting the premises, which can be in an industrial location, the investigators mentioned they doubted irrespective of whether an appropriate museum existed there. Pics connected for the report present a mishmash of randomly displayed uniforms, musical devices and various minstrel paraphernalia nailed to the wall, shown on tables and distribute out on the ground, with no clarification.
“You will find a small degree of things for the museum [that] under no circumstances symbolize the much more than a hundred-calendar year record with the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators mentioned, including that there was “no signage outside the house the premises indicating they housed a museum and … typically, the museum will not seem to get open to the public.”
The CTMCA experienced breached the grant settlement, Dabishi Nthambeleni mentioned, by relocating the location with the museum to another place with no notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal house, on which no museum was at any time built. Image: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet told the investigators that the CTMCA experienced to maneuver from the rented Crete Highway premises since it experienced operate up a R4-million credit card debt with town of Cape City and was fearful its products could well be attached.
“A result of the authorized battles as well as the debts, the organisation had to move its assets from five Crete Highway to avoid the sheriff from attaching the house on the organisation,” Stemmet explained to the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The present director of your CTMCA, advised them which the two buses acquired with lottery funds were being saved within a solution place “concealed through the Sheriff”. Even so the investigators reported they have been unable to verify that any buses had ever been purchased.
Stemmet also confirmed which the buses had been concealed to prevent them currently being seized. But once the investigators questioned to get taken towards the put the place the buses were stored, he told them that “the proprietor of the secret site wasn't available to open up the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA couldn't present proof of payment for two autos that it allegedly purchased with grant dollars,” the investigators documented.
Soeker also informed them the Schaapkraal residence were marketed because of the credit card debt.
“Mr Soeker discussed that As outlined by his comprehension, because of the personal debt owed to the City of Cape Town, the CTMCA determined It could be greatest to offer their [Schaapkraal] house … and to also to cover the assets on the CTMCA to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the residence.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for protection and stability, has Formerly told GroundUp the CTMCA “threw money away” on litigation with the town.
“Each and every year like clockwork, as we strategy the top in the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a authorized struggle with town, around permits or another thing. We never initiate it. They keep throwing revenue absent on vexatious litigation that they lose and possess charges awarded towards them. This really is solely self-inflicted,” he explained.
Soeker told the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the most crucial part gamers on issues of Lottery funding have been Stemmet and previous CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were in command of each of the admin, finances and jogging ผล สลาก the CTMCA.” The investigators claimed they had been not able to contact Momberg.
Hats
Through their “investigation in loco” in the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “located various machines, some in excellent affliction, some in bad problem and several that seemed rusty and very previous”. Stemmet advised the investigators that there was also an off-web-site storage facility where by “devices and several machinery” were kept.
“We questioned him to just take us to the facility but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Based upon images and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, with the things look like products that was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s former premises. Stemmet is going through charges for this elimination.
In accordance with the final progress report submitted to your NLC from the CTMCA, the machinery was acquired from Martin-Conne Milliners, a corporation by which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter had been directors at time.
The investigators located this “alarming”.
“With the CIPC research of Martin-Conne Milliners plus the invoices submitted, we Observe the next alarming obtaining: Mr Stemmet himself can be a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered deal with of the organization is five Crete Street, Wetton, Cape City, the exact same deal with on which the museum was meant to be created and/or transformed,” they documented.
An audit by accountants Kopano Included, connected into the investigative report, recorded that the CTMCA was in the entire process of buying “machinery, plant and inventory” valued at R8.one-million from Stalph 164 CC, investing as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a close corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators.
Based on Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has paid out R1.2-million being a deposit, indicating R6.nine-million remains to be owed, however there is not any payment day set for when this have to be paid.
The Kopano audit and also the shut connection involving the companies “indicate to us that there's ‘foul Perform’ linked to the purchase of the equipment of the museum workshop”, the investigators claimed inside the report.
“We discover that it's very possible that CTMCA used the funding on the NLC to ‘refund’ one of its principal administrators with the property at a better overpriced fee than the particular rate and price of the assets and/or equipment.”
Tips
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it absolutely was unable to ascertain how the grant for the CTMCA had been spent.
“In fact, an in depth report on how the funding of your NLC was applied, might be extremely hard since the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to confirm the amounts spent on Each individual merchandise it asked for funding for. The interim report and last report of your CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators observed which the NLC had not executed a site check out before approving the grant. But this was not common observe at some time and they discovered no evidence of negligence by NLC staff.
At the time, the NLC’s procedures didn't involve funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim experiences, they identified. This intended the CTMCA was ready to get a 2nd tranche of funding while not having to give proof that it experienced applied the 1st tranche for its meant objective.
Following the appointment of a fresh board, commissioner and senior executive staff, the NLC has tightened up on these together with other troubles.
Dabishi Nthambeleni recommended that
the NLC decrease any future funding programs within the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any associates who ended up linked to the grant be subjected towards the NLC’s “delinquency” approach;
the NLC open up a felony circumstance of fraud with SAPS or maybe the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC begin the process of recovering the misappropriated money.
But, as an alternative to act about the report’s recommendations, the NLC – under its previous administration – selected to suppress it, since it had completed Together with the earlier reports into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet and Soeker by means of SMS, and asked for e mail addresses to deliver the questions by e mail as well. But no response were received at time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Highway, Wetton. Photo: Raymond Joseph
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