Minstrels conduct in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive Image: Ashraf Hendricks

A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.3-million grant because of the National Lotteries Commission on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for a minstrels museum has observed no evidence that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators discovered which the CTMCA did not make use of the R5-million allocated to obtain or make a museum.
Additionally they observed which the CTMCA only acquired land worth R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They uncovered the CTMCA used funds in the Lottery to purchase workshop equipment from amongst its very own administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how countless rand granted to the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) via the Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) to put in place a museum to celebrate town’s abundant minstrel record went astray. The museum was never ever established.

The main points of your abuse of millions of rands of Lottery resources for a museum that in no way was are uncovered in an investigative report commissioned with the NLC in 2021.

The museum grant was Element of greater than R64-million in Lottery money allocated towards the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017.

The main Element of the investigation, by legislation organization Dabishi Nthambeleni, was conducted between September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.three-million grant on the CTMCA in 2014, which involved funding for the museum. The accepted budget for your museum was much more than R12.8-million, with R5-million of that allotted for just a constructing to deal with the museum.

Browse the report (PDF, 7MB)

The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the purchase of the creating for that museum and whether or not the museum “basically existed”.

The organization was also instructed to research

the purchase with Lottery money of two autos – a sixty-seater bus along with a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
a variety of machines “bought for your producing on the costumes and hats” for your minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At the time, convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director with the CTMCA. He was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of various administrators of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in May possibly 2021.

The investigation adopted in depth reporting by GroundUp with regard to the a lot of rands of Lottery funding allotted to the CTMCA (see here, below and listed here) and just how the money most likely helped finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign in the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.



The making on the ideal was the meant web site in the minstrels’ museum, in the middle of an industrial area in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photograph: Raymond Joseph

In reaction into a Parliamentary issue, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane listed grants to three CTMCA “initiatives” - such as the museum - between 2012 and 2015. All 3 jobs had been concluded, she instructed MPs.

Though the investigators uncovered no evidence that a museum experienced ever existed.

At first the museum was because of open in rented premises in Crete Highway, Wetton. A photograph acquired by GroundUp from the meant Wetton museum displays a espresso store with a few musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of photographs haphazardly hung over the partitions, plus a product ship on its plinth in a very corner.

In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni mentioned it absolutely was “not in a position” to verify if a museum had at any time operated from these premises.

Stemmet instructed the investigators the museum were moved given that they could now not afford the lease of R100,000 a month. He explained the CTMCA experienced purchased property for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal for that museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and had been marketed for a similar value. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-urban location much from the town.

Due to this fact, the museum had been moved to a new locale in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But following viewing the premises, which might be in an industrial place, the investigators explained they doubted irrespective of whether a correct museum existed there. Images hooked up to your report clearly show a mishmash of randomly exhibited uniforms, musical devices and various minstrel paraphernalia nailed into the wall, exhibited on tables and spread out on the floor, without clarification.

“There is a nominal degree of products at the museum [that] in no way represent the greater than 100-yr background from the Cape City Carnival, the investigators claimed, including that there was “no signage outside the premises indicating which they housed a museum and … usually, the museum does not seem to generally be open up to the public.”

The CTMCA experienced breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni pointed out, by moving The placement of your museum to another area with out notifying the NLC.



The Schaapkraal house, on which no museum was at any time crafted. Photo: Raymond Joseph

Buses
Stemmet advised the investigators that the CTMCA had to maneuver from your rented Crete Road premises mainly because it experienced run up a R4-million credit card debt with the town of Cape Town and was frightened its products might be connected.

“A result of the legal battles and also the debts, the organisation experienced to maneuver its residence from 5 Crete Highway to avoid the sheriff from attaching the assets from the organisation,” Stemmet instructed the investigators.

Sedrick Soeker, The existing director of the CTMCA, told them that the two buses bought with lottery cash were stored inside a mystery site “concealed from the Sheriff”. Nevertheless the investigators claimed they ended up unable to substantiate that any buses experienced ever been bought.

Stemmet also confirmed which the buses were hidden to stop them getting seized. But once the investigators asked to become taken to the location where the buses were being saved, he informed them that “the operator of The key location was not accessible to open up the premises for us”.

“The CTMCA couldn't supply evidence of payment for two cars that it allegedly obtained with grant money,” the investigators reported.

Soeker also instructed them the Schaapkraal home were bought due to personal debt.

“Mr Soeker discussed that As outlined by his comprehending, mainly because of the financial debt owed to the town of Cape City, the CTMCA determined It could be greatest to market their [Schaapkraal] assets … also to also to cover the assets in the CTMCA to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the house.”

JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for protection and protection, has Formerly informed GroundUp that the CTMCA “threw income absent” on litigation with the City.

“Each year like clockwork, as we strategy the top with the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a authorized fight with the town, more than permits or another thing. We under no circumstances initiate it. They maintain throwing funds away on vexatious litigation they reduce and have charges awarded against them. This is certainly entirely self-inflicted,” he claimed.

Soeker explained to the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the primary part gamers on problems with Lottery funding ended up Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were answerable for the many admin, finances and operating หวย ลาว วัน นี้ the CTMCA.” The investigators said they were not able to Get hold of Momberg.

Hats
For the duration of their “investigation in loco” with the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “located several devices, some in very good problem, some in undesirable problem and some that appeared rusty and very aged”. Stemmet advised the investigators that there was also an off-internet site storage facility wherever “devices and several equipment” were retained.

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

Depending on images and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, Otherwise all, of the products look like equipment that was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s previous premises. Stemmet is experiencing rates for this removing.

In accordance with the closing progress report submitted for the NLC through the CTMCA, the machinery was procured from Martin-Conne Milliners, a firm during which Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter were being administrators at the time.

The investigators located this “alarming”.

“Within the CIPC search of Martin-Conne Milliners plus the invoices submitted, we note the following alarming obtaining: Mr Stemmet himself is usually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the organization is five Crete Street, Wetton, Cape City, the same deal with on which the museum was intended to be constructed and/or converted,” they noted.

An audit by accountants Kopano Integrated, hooked up into the investigative report, recorded the CTMCA was in the entire process of obtaining “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 certainly one of the administrators.

As outlined by Dabishi Nthambeleni, the corporation has paid R1.2-million to be a deposit, which means R6.nine-million continues to be owed, however there isn't a payment day established for when this has to be paid out.

The Kopano audit as well as shut link between the companies “show to us that there's ‘foul Participate in’ linked to the purchase in the machinery from the museum workshop”, the investigators reported during the report.

“We find that it's extremely possible that CTMCA utilized the funding with the NLC to ‘refund’ among its most important directors to the assets at a better overpriced rate than the actual selling price and price of the home and/or machinery.”

Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it absolutely was not able to establish how the grant towards the CTMCA were used.

“In fact, a detailed report on how the funding with the NLC was made use of, could be unattainable given that the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to verify the quantities expended on Just about every merchandise it requested funding for. The interim report and last report from the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.

The investigators found the NLC had not done a internet site go to right before approving the grant. But this was not common practice at some time and they located no proof of carelessness by NLC workers.

At time, the NLC’s regulations didn't require funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim stories, they identified. This meant that the CTMCA was capable to receive a 2nd tranche of funding while not having to present proof that it experienced made use of the first tranche for its supposed function.

Adhering to the appointment of a fresh board, commissioner and senior executive team, the NLC has tightened up on these along with other problems.

Dabishi Nthambeleni recommended that

the NLC drop any upcoming funding purposes from the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any customers who ended up associated with the grant be subjected into the NLC’s “delinquency” approach;
the NLC open up a prison situation of fraud with SAPS or perhaps the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC start out the process of recovering the misappropriated funds.
But, as opposed to act within the report’s suggestions, the NLC – beneath its earlier administration – chose to suppress it, because it had performed Along with the former experiences into corruption it experienced commissioned.

GroundUp sent questions to Stemmet and Soeker by using SMS, and requested for email addresses to mail the inquiries by email too. But no response were acquired at some time of publication.



The minstrel “museum” in Crete Street, Wetton. Image: Raymond Joseph

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