Minstrels accomplish in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive Image: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by Lawyers Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.three-million grant because of the Nationwide Lotteries Fee on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for just a minstrels museum has observed no proof that a museum ever existed.
The investigators uncovered that the CTMCA did not make use of the R5-million allotted to purchase or make a museum.
In addition they found that the CTMCA only bought land value R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They identified the CTMCA applied resources within the Lottery to invest in workshop equipment from certainly one of its personal directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how millions of rand granted to the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) to arrange a museum to celebrate town’s abundant minstrel heritage went astray. The museum was under no circumstances created.
The main points from the abuse of an incredible number of rands of Lottery funds for the museum that under no circumstances was are disclosed within an investigative report commissioned through the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Element of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allotted towards the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017.
The primary part of the investigation, by legislation firm Dabishi Nthambeleni, was done in between September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.3-million grant into the CTMCA in 2014, which provided funding for that museum. The approved budget for that museum was more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allocated for any developing to house the museum.
Read the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the acquisition of a creating for the museum and whether or not the museum “truly existed”.
The agency was also instructed to research
the purchase with Lottery cash of two autos – a 60-seater bus and also a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
various equipment “acquired for that production of your costumes and hats” to the minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At enough time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director from the CTMCA. He was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing as two of various administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in May 2021.
The investigation followed comprehensive reporting by GroundUp concerning the an incredible number of rands of Lottery funding allotted on the CTMCA (see here, listed here and right here) and just how the resources likely served finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign in the Western Cape, led by at some time by Marius Fransman.
The creating on the proper was the meant web-site from the minstrels’ museum, in the midst of an industrial location in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
In response to a Parliamentary question, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane stated grants to a few CTMCA “tasks” - such as the museum - concerning 2012 and 2015. All 3 tasks were concluded, she advised MPs.
Nevertheless the investigators found no proof that a museum experienced ever existed.
At the beginning the museum was on account of open up in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photo received by GroundUp from the intended Wetton museum demonstrates a espresso store with a few musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of photographs haphazardly hung to the partitions, in addition to a product ship on its plinth in a corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni stated it was “not in a position” to confirm if a museum experienced at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet advised the investigators the museum had been moved simply because they could not afford the hire of R100,000 a month. He mentioned the CTMCA experienced ordered house for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal for the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and had been bought for a similar price. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-city location far from town.
Due to this fact, the museum had been moved to a fresh spot in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But immediately after checking out the premises, that are within an industrial location, the investigators claimed they doubted no matter whether a suitable museum existed there. Shots hooked up to your report exhibit a mishmash of randomly shown uniforms, musical instruments and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed to the wall, exhibited on tables and unfold out on the floor, without having clarification.
“There's a minimal amount of goods on the museum [that] on no account characterize the over a hundred-year historical past of the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators explained, introducing that there was “no signage outside the premises indicating that they housed a museum and … normally, the museum would not look to become open to the public.”
The CTMCA had breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni noted, by moving The situation of your museum to another site devoid of notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal house, on which no museum was ever built. Image: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet advised the investigators that the CTMCA experienced to move with the rented Crete Road premises mainly because it had operate up a R4-million debt with the town of Cape City and was frightened its machines can be attached.
“As a result of legal battles as well as the debts, the organisation had to maneuver its property from five Crete Road to avoid the sheriff from attaching the home with the organisation,” Stemmet told the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The present director of your CTMCA, informed them the two buses bought with lottery funds had been stored inside of a secret area “hidden from your Sheriff”. But the investigators stated they were not able to substantiate that any buses experienced ever been acquired.
Stemmet also confirmed which the buses were concealed to stop them remaining seized. But if the investigators asked to be taken towards the position the place the buses had been saved, he told them that “the proprietor of the secret locale wasn't available to open the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA could not present evidence of payment for two cars that it allegedly purchased with grant income,” the investigators noted.
Soeker also explained to them the Schaapkraal residence were bought because of the debt.
“Mr Soeker described that according to his comprehension, due to credit card debt owed to town of Cape Town, the CTMCA resolved It could be very best to promote their [Schaapkraal] assets … also to also to hide the property from the CTMCA to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the home.”
JP Smith, Cape City’s mayco member for safety and security, has previously advised GroundUp that the CTMCA “threw income absent” on litigation with town.
“Each year like clockwork, as we method the end in the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a authorized battle with the City, more than permits or something else. We never initiate it. They keep throwing revenue away on vexatious litigation that they reduce and also have expenses awarded versus them. This is certainly completely self-inflicted,” he said.
Soeker advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the primary purpose gamers on issues of Lottery funding have been Stemmet and previous CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were accountable for many of the admin, finances and operating ผล สลาก the CTMCA.” The investigators reported they had been not able to Get in touch with Momberg.
Hats
All through their “investigation in loco” on the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “observed many devices, some in very good ailment, some in poor problem and several that seemed rusty and very previous”. Stemmet advised the investigators that there was also an off-web-site storage facility wherever “instruments and a few machinery” were being retained.
“We requested him to get us to the facility but he was evasive to our ask for.”
Determined by photographs and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, Otherwise all, on the products look like tools which was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s past premises. Stemmet is dealing with rates for this removal.
Based on the remaining progress report submitted on the NLC via the CTMCA, the machinery was obtained from Martin-Conne Milliners, a firm in which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter were directors at the time.
The investigators identified this “alarming”.
“Through the CIPC lookup of Martin-Conne Milliners along with the invoices submitted, we Observe the next alarming locating: Mr Stemmet himself is really a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the corporation is five Crete Road, Wetton, Cape City, the identical address on which the museum was intended to be built and/or transformed,” they reported.
An audit by accountants Kopano Integrated, hooked up for the investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the process of getting “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.1-million from Stalph 164 CC, buying and selling as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a detailed Company of which Stemmet was one of the administrators.
According to Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has paid out R1.2-million being a deposit, this means R6.nine-million remains owed, nevertheless there isn't any payment date established for when this needs to be compensated.
The Kopano audit plus the near website link among the companies “suggest to us that there is ‘foul Perform’ linked to the purchase of the equipment from the museum workshop”, the investigators reported while in the report.
“We discover that it is remarkably probable that CTMCA utilised the funding of the NLC to ‘refund’ considered one of its main directors to the assets at a higher overpriced charge than the actual selling price and price of the assets and/or equipment.”
Tips
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it absolutely was not able to determine how the grant into the CTMCA were expended.
“The truth is, a detailed report on how the funding in the NLC was employed, will be unattainable because the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to confirm the amounts spent on each merchandise it asked for funding for. The interim report and ultimate report from the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators discovered the NLC experienced not performed a web-site pay a visit to right before approving the grant. But this was not normal exercise at some time and they identified no evidence of negligence by NLC personnel.
At enough time, the NLC’s procedures didn't involve funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim stories, they pointed out. This meant which the CTMCA was able to get a 2nd tranche of funding without needing to offer evidence that it had utilized the first tranche for its supposed goal.
Following the appointment of a completely new board, commissioner and senior government team, the NLC has tightened up on these and various concerns.
Dabishi Nthambeleni recommended that
the NLC decrease any upcoming funding applications through the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who were associated with the grant be subjected to your NLC’s “delinquency” system;
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 funds.
But, rather than act on the report’s tips, the NLC – less than its preceding administration – chose to suppress it, as it experienced completed With all the previous stories into corruption it had commissioned.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet and Soeker by using SMS, and asked for e mail addresses to send the issues by email way too. But no reaction were obtained at enough time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Highway, Wetton. Image: Raymond Joseph
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