Minstrels execute in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks

A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni right into a R27.3-million grant from the Nationwide Lotteries Fee towards the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) for your minstrels museum has located no proof that a museum ever existed.
The investigators found which the CTMCA did not use the R5-million allotted to acquire or establish a museum.
In addition they identified that the CTMCA only acquired land worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They identified the CTMCA utilized cash through the Lottery to get workshop machines from considered one of its have administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how many rand granted towards the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) via the National Lotteries Fee (NLC) to set up a museum to celebrate the town’s prosperous minstrel history went astray. The museum was hardly ever produced.

The details in the abuse of an incredible number of rands of Lottery money to get a museum that never ever was are revealed within an investigative report commissioned by the NLC in 2021.

The museum grant was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted into the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017.

The very first Component of the investigation, by regulation company Dabishi Nthambeleni, was executed concerning September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.3-million grant to your CTMCA in 2014, which bundled funding for the museum. The accepted price range for your museum was much more than R12.8-million, with R5-million of that allotted for any creating to deal with the museum.

Go through the report (PDF, 7MB)

The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the acquisition of the creating for the museum and if the museum “actually existed”.

The organization was also instructed to analyze

the acquisition with Lottery cash of two vehicles – a sixty-seater bus as well as a 23-seater bus – for R2.four-million; and
different machines “obtained for your producing of your costumes and hats” for that minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At enough time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director of the CTMCA. He was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of various administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in May perhaps 2021.

The investigation followed intensive reporting by GroundUp about the a lot of rands of Lottery funding allotted on the CTMCA (see right here, in this article and here) and the way in which the funds almost certainly assisted finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign within the Western Cape, led by at enough time by Marius Fransman.



The constructing on the best was the supposed internet site from the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial location in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photograph: Raymond Joseph

In response into a Parliamentary dilemma, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane shown grants to three CTMCA “projects” - such as the museum - involving 2012 and 2015. All a few projects had been done, she instructed MPs.

But the investigators discovered no evidence that a museum experienced at any time existed.

To start with the museum was due to open in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photograph acquired by GroundUp in the supposed Wetton museum displays a coffee store with a few musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of photos haphazardly hung around the partitions, and also a model ship on its plinth inside of a corner.

In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni explained it was “not able” to substantiate if a museum had ever operated from these premises.

Stemmet advised the investigators the museum were moved as they could no longer find the money for the hire of R100,000 per month. He stated the CTMCA experienced purchased assets for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal with the museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and had been bought for a similar price tag. Schaapkraal is in the peri-urban space significantly from the town.

Due to this fact, the museum had been moved to a whole new location in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But soon after checking out the premises, that are within an industrial location, the investigators claimed they doubted no matter whether a proper museum existed there. Photographs connected on the report clearly show a mishmash of randomly displayed uniforms, musical devices and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed for the wall, displayed on tables and spread out on the floor, without any clarification.

“There's a small number of items in the museum [that] by no means stand for the greater than 100-year background from the Cape City Carnival, the investigators mentioned, introducing that there was “no signage outdoors the premises indicating which they housed a museum and … typically, the museum does not glance for being open up to the public.”

The CTMCA experienced breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni pointed out, by transferring The placement of the museum to an alternate locale devoid of notifying the NLC.



The Schaapkraal assets, on which no museum was ever developed. Picture: Raymond Joseph

Buses
Stemmet explained to the investigators that the CTMCA experienced to move within the rented Crete Road premises since it had run up a R4-million debt with town of Cape Town and was frightened its machines can be attached.

“Mainly because of the legal battles as well as debts, the organisation had to move its home from five Crete Road to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the home of your organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.

Sedrick Soeker, The present director from the CTMCA, advised them which the two buses acquired with lottery cash were stored inside of a magic formula site “concealed through the Sheriff”. Although the investigators claimed they have been unable to confirm that any buses experienced ever been bought.

Stemmet also verified the buses had been hidden to halt them becoming seized. But when the investigators questioned being taken to your put wherever the buses were being saved, he explained to them that “the proprietor of The trick site was not available to open up the premises for us”.

“The CTMCA could not supply evidence of payment for two vehicles that it allegedly purchased with grant money,” the investigators documented.

Soeker also explained to them the Schaapkraal property had been offered due to debt.

“Mr Soeker spelled out that Based on his understanding, due to financial debt owed to the town of Cape Town, the CTMCA made the decision It might be finest to offer their [Schaapkraal] house … and to also to hide the belongings with the CTMCA to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the home.”

JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for safety and protection, has previously informed GroundUp that the CTMCA “threw cash away” on litigation with the town.

“On a yearly basis like clockwork, as we tactic the end of your calendar year, the CTMCA picks a lawful battle with town, around permits or something else. We never initiate it. They hold throwing revenue away on vexatious litigation they eliminate and possess costs awarded in opposition to them. This is often solely self-inflicted,” he said.

Soeker told the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the principle job gamers on problems with Lottery funding had been Stemmet and previous CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were in command of the many admin, finances and running หวย ลาว ออก วัน นี้ สด the CTMCA.” The investigators explained they had been struggling to contact Momberg.

Hats
During their “investigation in loco” for the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “located many equipment, some in very good problem, some in bad affliction and a few that seemed rusty and extremely previous”. Stemmet told the investigators that there was also an off-internet site storage facility where “instruments and many equipment” were held.

“We requested him to acquire us to the power but he was evasive to our ask for.”

Dependant on photographs and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, from the things appear to be gear that was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s previous premises. Stemmet is facing expenses for this removing.

In accordance with the ultimate development report submitted on the NLC through the CTMCA, the equipment was acquired from Martin-Conne Milliners, a firm during which Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter had been administrators at the time.

The investigators observed this “alarming”.

“In the CIPC research of Martin-Conne Milliners and the invoices submitted, we Be aware the following alarming obtaining: Mr Stemmet himself is usually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered handle of the company is five Crete Street, Wetton, Cape Town, the identical deal with on which the museum was intended to be developed and/or transformed,” they described.

An audit by accountants Kopano Integrated, attached to the investigative report, recorded the CTMCA was in the process of purchasing “machinery, plant and inventory” valued at R8.1-million from Stalph 164 CC, investing as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a close corporation of which Stemmet was one of the administrators.

Based on Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has paid out R1.two-million as being a deposit, that means R6.nine-million is still owed, even though there is no payment date established for when this must be compensated.

The Kopano audit and the close link in between the businesses “suggest to us that there's ‘foul Enjoy’ involved with the purchase of the equipment on the museum workshop”, the investigators mentioned inside the report.

“We find that it's hugely possible that CTMCA utilised the funding in the NLC to ‘refund’ among its main directors with the home at an increased overpriced rate than the actual price tag and price of the assets and/or machinery.”

Recommendations
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it was unable to establish how the grant for the CTMCA had been put in.

“The truth is, an in depth report on how the funding of your NLC was utilized, will be extremely hard as the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or evidence of payments to verify the amounts invested on Each and every item it asked for funding for. The interim report and closing report in the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.

The investigators located which the NLC had not done a web-site go to right before approving the grant. But this was not typical practice at time plus they uncovered no evidence of negligence by NLC staff members.

At some time, the NLC’s guidelines did not call for funded organisations to submit proof of payment with interim reviews, they pointed out. This meant that the CTMCA was capable to receive a second tranche of funding without needing to give proof that it had utilized the very first tranche for its intended intent.

Pursuing the appointment of a completely new board, commissioner and senior government team, the NLC has tightened up on these and other challenges.

Dabishi Nthambeleni advisable that

the NLC drop any foreseeable future funding applications through the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who had been involved with the grant be subjected to the NLC’s “delinquency” method;
the NLC open up a prison case of fraud with SAPS or the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC commence the entire process of recovering the misappropriated cash.
But, in lieu of act over the report’s tips, the NLC – underneath its past administration – chose to suppress it, because it had completed With all the previous reports into corruption it experienced commissioned.

GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet and Soeker through SMS, and questioned for e-mail addresses to mail the inquiries by electronic mail way too. But no reaction had been gained at the time of publication.



The minstrel “museum” in Crete Road, Wetton. Picture: Raymond Joseph

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