Minstrels carry out in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive Picture: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.three-million grant by the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) to get a minstrels museum has discovered no evidence that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators identified which the CTMCA didn't use the R5-million allocated to acquire or build a museum.
Additionally they uncovered which the CTMCA only acquired land really worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They identified the CTMCA utilised cash with the Lottery to invest in workshop machines from one of its own administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how millions of rand granted into the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) to build a museum to celebrate town’s prosperous minstrel background went astray. The museum was never established.
The main points of the abuse of countless rands of Lottery resources for your museum that in no way was are disclosed within an investigative report commissioned through the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated for the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017.
The initial Portion of the investigation, by legislation firm Dabishi Nthambeleni, was conducted among September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.three-million grant on the CTMCA in 2014, which incorporated funding for that museum. The authorized budget for your museum was in excess of R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allocated for your creating to deal with the museum.
Go through the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the acquisition of the developing for that museum and if the museum “truly existed”.
The business was also instructed to investigate
the acquisition with Lottery funds of two cars – a 60-seater bus in addition to a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
numerous equipment “acquired for that production in the costumes and hats” for the minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At the time, convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director with the CTMCA. He was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of various administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in May possibly 2021.
The investigation adopted comprehensive reporting by GroundUp concerning the numerous rands of Lottery funding allocated on the CTMCA (see right here, here and in this article) and the way in which the money in all probability helped finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign from the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.
The constructing on the ideal was the supposed internet site on the minstrels’ museum, in the midst of an industrial area in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Picture: Raymond Joseph
In response to some Parliamentary question, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane mentioned grants to a few CTMCA “initiatives” - such as the museum - in between 2012 and 2015. All a few initiatives had been accomplished, she informed MPs.
But the investigators observed no proof that a museum had at any time existed.
In the beginning the museum was as a consequence of open in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photo acquired by GroundUp with the meant Wetton museum shows a coffee shop with a few musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of photos haphazardly hung around the walls, along with a model ship on its plinth inside a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni stated it was “not ready” to substantiate if a museum had at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet explained to the investigators the museum had been moved given that they could not afford the hire of R100,000 a month. He reported the CTMCA had procured house for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal to the museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and had been marketed for a similar value. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-urban spot considerably from the city.
Therefore, the museum were moved to a new place in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But just after going to the premises, which can be in an industrial location, the investigators mentioned they doubted no matter if a suitable museum existed there. Pics connected towards the report display a mishmash of randomly exhibited uniforms, musical instruments and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed to your wall, displayed on tables and distribute out on the floor, without having clarification.
“There is a small level of merchandise on the museum [that] on no account symbolize the much more than 100-yr heritage of your Cape City Carnival, the investigators stated, including that there was “no signage exterior the premises indicating they housed a museum and … commonly, the museum would not look to become open up to the general public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni mentioned, by moving The situation of your museum to an alternate area with out notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal assets, on which no museum was ever constructed. Image: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet advised the investigators which the CTMCA had to maneuver in the rented Crete Highway premises because it had operate up a R4-million debt with the town of Cape City and was afraid its machines could be attached.
“Mainly because of the lawful battles and also the debts, the organisation had to maneuver its house from five Crete Highway to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the residence from the organisation,” Stemmet instructed the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The existing director of the CTMCA, advised them which the two buses purchased with lottery cash were being stored in the mystery spot “concealed in the Sheriff”. Nevertheless the investigators said they ended up not able to confirm that any buses had at any time been acquired.
Stemmet also verified which the buses were concealed to halt them being seized. But when the investigators asked for being taken to your position the place the buses were being saved, he explained to them that “the owner of The trick locale wasn't accessible to open up the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not present evidence of payment for 2 vehicles that it allegedly obtained with grant income,” the investigators described.
Soeker also advised them the Schaapkraal home were marketed as a result of personal debt.
“Mr Soeker explained that according to his understanding, because of the financial debt owed to the town of Cape City, the CTMCA determined It will be very best to provide their [Schaapkraal] residence … and also to also to cover the belongings of the CTMCA to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the assets.”
JP Smith, Cape City’s mayco member for security and security, has previously told GroundUp which the CTMCA “threw revenue away” on litigation with the City.
“On a yearly basis like clockwork, as we approach the tip with the year, the CTMCA picks a legal battle with the City, above permits or something else. We by no means initiate it. They preserve throwing dollars absent on vexatious litigation which they shed and also have costs awarded towards them. This is certainly completely self-inflicted,” he stated.
Soeker advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the primary position gamers on issues of Lottery funding were Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were in charge of all of the admin, funds and jogging luckyvip77 the CTMCA.” The investigators mentioned they had been struggling to Speak to Momberg.
Hats
For the duration of their “investigation in loco” on the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “found quite a few equipment, some in fantastic problem, some in lousy issue and some that looked rusty and very aged”. Stemmet advised the investigators that there was also an off-site storage facility the place “devices and some machinery” have been retained.
“We requested him to acquire us to the power but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Dependant on shots and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, Otherwise all, of the merchandise look like products that was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s preceding premises. Stemmet is experiencing prices for this removal.
In accordance with the ultimate progress report submitted to your NLC through the CTMCA, the equipment was bought from Martin-Conne Milliners, a corporation by which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter have been directors at enough time.
The investigators uncovered this “alarming”.
“From your CIPC research of Martin-Conne Milliners plus the invoices submitted, we Take note the subsequent alarming finding: Mr Stemmet himself is really a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered deal with of the business is 5 Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape Town, the identical address on which the museum was meant to be designed and/or transformed,” they documented.
An audit by accountants Kopano Included, connected for the investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the whole process of acquiring “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.one-million from Stalph 164 CC, trading as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was an in depth Company of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors.
In line with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the company has paid R1.2-million like a deposit, that means R6.9-million continues to be owed, however there is no payment day set for when this has to be paid.
The Kopano audit and also the shut backlink involving the companies “suggest to us that there's ‘foul Perform’ linked to the purchase of the machinery of the museum workshop”, the investigators claimed within 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 greater overpriced fee than the particular rate and price of the property and/or equipment.”
Tips
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it absolutely was not able to ascertain how the grant to your CTMCA had been put in.
“Actually, a detailed report on how the funding of the NLC was used, could well be unachievable as being the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or evidence of payments to verify the quantities put in on Every product it requested funding for. The interim report and closing report from the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators discovered the NLC experienced not conducted a web-site go to ahead of approving the grant. But this wasn't standard apply at enough time plus they uncovered no proof of carelessness by NLC employees.
At the time, the NLC’s guidelines did not require funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim stories, they pointed out. This meant which the CTMCA was ready to get a second tranche of funding without needing to offer evidence that it had used the main tranche for its meant purpose.
Next the appointment of a whole new board, commissioner and senior executive crew, the NLC has tightened up on these as well as other challenges.
Dabishi Nthambeleni advised that
the NLC decrease any future funding programs with the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any members who had been associated with the grant be subjected to your NLC’s “delinquency” process;
the NLC open up a prison circumstance of fraud with SAPS or maybe the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC begin the process of recovering the misappropriated resources.
But, rather than act on the report’s tips, the NLC – beneath its earlier administration – chose to suppress it, since it had done While using the past reviews into corruption it experienced commissioned.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet and Soeker by way of SMS, and requested for electronic mail addresses to ship the questions by e-mail far too. But no response had been acquired at some time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Highway, Wetton. Photo: Raymond Joseph
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