Minstrels carry out in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.3-million grant via the National Lotteries Fee on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for just a minstrels museum has discovered no proof that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators observed that the CTMCA did not make use of the R5-million allocated to get or develop a museum.
In addition they found that the CTMCA only bought land well worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They identified the CTMCA employed money from your Lottery to get workshop tools from considered one of its own administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how numerous rand granted towards the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) to put in place a museum to rejoice the town’s loaded minstrel heritage went astray. The museum was hardly ever designed.
The main points of your abuse of countless rands of Lottery money to get a museum that in no way was are disclosed in an investigative report commissioned from the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Element of greater than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated towards the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017.
The first A part of the investigation, by law business Dabishi Nthambeleni, was carried out involving September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.three-million grant for the CTMCA in 2014, which integrated funding for that museum. The permitted budget with the museum was much more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allocated for just a constructing to house the museum.
Study the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the acquisition of a developing for the museum and if the museum “actually existed”.
The firm was also instructed to research
the purchase with Lottery resources of two vehicles – a sixty-seater bus in addition to a 23-seater bus – for R2.four-million; and
various equipment “obtained for that producing of your costumes and hats” with the minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At the time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director on 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 ongoing as two of many directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in May possibly 2021.
The investigation followed extensive reporting by GroundUp regarding the countless rands of Lottery funding allotted to the CTMCA (see below, here and below) and how the funds probably aided finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign within the Western Cape, led by at some time by Marius Fransman.
The setting up on the right was the supposed web page in the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial area in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Photo: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to some Parliamentary question, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane mentioned grants to 3 CTMCA “assignments” - including the museum - involving 2012 and 2015. All a few jobs were completed, she informed MPs.
Though the investigators found no proof that a museum had ever existed.
At first the museum was on account of open in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photograph acquired by GroundUp of the intended Wetton museum displays a coffee shop with some musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of shots haphazardly hung on the partitions, and also a model ship on its plinth in a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni explained it absolutely was “not able” to substantiate if a museum experienced ever operated from these premises.
Stemmet told the investigators the museum had been moved mainly because they could no longer find the money for the rent of R100,000 a month. He explained the CTMCA experienced bought house for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal with the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and had been marketed for the same cost. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-city area much from the city.
Consequently, the museum had been moved to a different site in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet explained to the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But just after going to the premises, that happen to be in an industrial place, the investigators claimed they doubted whether or not a proper museum existed there. Shots hooked up for the report demonstrate a mishmash of randomly exhibited uniforms, musical instruments and diverse minstrel paraphernalia nailed on the wall, displayed on tables and unfold out on the ground, without rationalization.
“There exists a minimum degree of items in the museum [that] under no circumstances characterize the more than 100-yr history from the Cape City Carnival, the investigators explained, introducing that there was “no signage outside the house the premises indicating they housed a museum and … typically, the museum doesn't seem to get open up to the public.”
The CTMCA experienced breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni pointed out, by relocating The placement of your museum to an alternative place devoid of notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal property, on which no museum was ever developed. Photo: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet informed the investigators that the CTMCA had to move in the rented Crete Road premises mainly because it had operate up a R4-million credit card debt with the City of Cape Town and was scared its gear could be hooked up.
“Mainly because of the authorized battles as well as debts, the organisation had to maneuver its property from 5 Crete Street to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the property in the organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, the current director of the CTMCA, told them that the two buses purchased with lottery funds ended up saved in the magic formula site “concealed through the Sheriff”. Although the investigators explained they were unable to verify that any buses experienced at any time been bought.
Stemmet also confirmed which the buses were hidden to stop them remaining seized. But when the investigators asked to get taken to the place the place the buses ended up stored, he advised them that “the proprietor of the secret area was not available to open up the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA couldn't deliver evidence of payment for two autos that it allegedly ordered with grant money,” the investigators reported.
Soeker also explained to them the Schaapkraal home had been bought due to the debt.
“Mr Soeker stated that In accordance with his comprehending, due to the financial debt owed to the town of Cape Town, the CTMCA decided It might be finest to provide their [Schaapkraal] property … and also to also to hide the property on the CTMCA to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the house.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for security and safety, has Formerly advised GroundUp that the CTMCA “threw cash absent” on litigation with the City.
“Yearly like clockwork, as we method the top on the year, the CTMCA picks a legal battle with town, above permits or something else. We by no means initiate it. They hold throwing revenue absent on vexatious litigation which they lose and possess prices awarded versus them. This really is entirely self-inflicted,” he said.
Soeker instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the main purpose players on problems with Lottery funding had been Stemmet and previous CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were in charge of every one of the admin, funds and managing หวย หุ้น ช่อง 9 วัน นี้ the CTMCA.” The investigators reported they were unable to Get in touch with Momberg.
Hats
During their “investigation in loco” within the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “located many devices, some in superior problem, some in lousy problem and many that appeared rusty and extremely previous”. Stemmet advised the investigators that there was also an off-web page storage facility exactly where “instruments and several machinery” had been held.
“We requested him to get us to the ability but he was evasive to our request.”
Determined by images and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, in the goods seem like products that was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s former premises. Stemmet is struggling with prices for this removal.
According to the remaining progress report submitted into the NLC with the CTMCA, the machinery was ordered from Martin-Conne Milliners, an organization in which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter have been administrators at the time.
The investigators uncovered this “alarming”.
“From your CIPC look for of Martin-Conne Milliners and the invoices submitted, we Be aware the next alarming acquiring: Mr Stemmet himself is actually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered deal with of the organization is 5 Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape City, a similar tackle on which the museum was intended to be developed and/or converted,” they claimed.
An audit by accountants Kopano Integrated, attached into the investigative report, recorded the CTMCA was in the process of purchasing “equipment, plant and inventory” valued at R8.1-million from Stalph 164 CC, investing as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was an in depth Company of which Stemmet was among the directors.
In keeping with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has compensated R1.2-million like a deposit, indicating R6.9-million continues to be owed, while there isn't any payment date set for when this need to be paid out.
The Kopano audit plus the near url concerning the businesses “reveal to us that there is ‘foul play’ linked to the acquisition in the machinery with the museum workshop”, the investigators claimed inside the report.
“We discover that it is highly possible that CTMCA utilised the funding of the NLC to ‘refund’ amongst its most important directors with the house at the next overpriced fee than the particular value and worth of the residence and/or equipment.”
Recommendations
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it had been not able to ascertain how the grant into the CTMCA had been invested.
“The truth is, an in depth report on how the funding of the NLC was employed, will be difficult as being the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or proof of payments to confirm the quantities used on each product it requested funding for. The interim report and last report in the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators uncovered the NLC had not executed a web site visit in advance of approving the grant. But this was not common observe at time plus they uncovered no evidence of negligence by NLC personnel.
At some time, the NLC’s guidelines didn't involve funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim reports, they pointed out. This meant which the CTMCA was capable of receive a second tranche of funding without needing to present evidence that it had utilized the very first tranche for its intended intent.
Pursuing the appointment of a completely new board, commissioner and senior government group, the NLC has tightened up on these along with other issues.
Dabishi Nthambeleni proposed that
the NLC decrease any upcoming funding programs within the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any members who ended up linked to the grant be subjected for the NLC’s “delinquency” course of action;
the NLC open up a prison case of fraud with SAPS or even the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC start off the whole process of recovering the misappropriated resources.
But, instead of act around the report’s recommendations, the NLC – under its prior administration – selected to suppress it, mainly because it experienced performed with the previous stories into corruption it had commissioned.
GroundUp despatched issues to Stemmet and Soeker by means of SMS, and asked for electronic mail addresses to ship the questions by e mail too. But no reaction were been given at time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Highway, Wetton. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
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