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

A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni right into a R27.three-million grant because of the Countrywide Lotteries Commission for the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) for just a minstrels museum has located no evidence that a museum at any time existed.
The investigators observed which the CTMCA didn't make use of the R5-million allocated to order or produce a museum.
In addition they observed the CTMCA only purchased land really worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They identified the CTMCA employed funds within the Lottery to acquire workshop products from among its personal administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how an incredible number of rand granted towards the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) through the Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) to setup a museum to rejoice town’s rich minstrel historical past went astray. The museum was hardly ever produced.

The small print on the abuse of many rands of Lottery funds to get a museum that in no way was are unveiled in an investigative report commissioned through the NLC in 2021.

The museum grant was Portion of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted to your CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017.

The initial A part of the investigation, by regulation agency Dabishi Nthambeleni, was conducted involving September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.3-million grant into the CTMCA in 2014, which incorporated funding with the museum. The accredited spending plan for your museum was in excess of R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allotted to get a creating to accommodate the museum.

Examine the report (PDF, 7MB)

The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to analyze the acquisition of the setting up with the museum and whether or not the museum “essentially existed”.

The organization was also instructed to research

the purchase with Lottery funds of two motor vehicles – a sixty-seater bus plus a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
various equipment “acquired for your producing on the costumes and hats” for your minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At the time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director from the CTMCA. He was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of various directors in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in May 2021.

The investigation followed substantial reporting by GroundUp regarding the an incredible number of rands of Lottery funding allotted to your CTMCA (see in this article, here and here) and the way the funds probably served finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign while in the Western Cape, led by at time by Marius Fransman.



The building on the right was the meant web site in the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial location in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photo: Raymond Joseph

In response into a Parliamentary question, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane shown grants to a few CTMCA “tasks” - including the museum - among 2012 and 2015. All three tasks were concluded, she informed MPs.

But the investigators uncovered no proof that a museum experienced at any time existed.

At first the museum was as a consequence of open in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photograph attained by GroundUp on the supposed Wetton museum displays a espresso shop with some musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of photos haphazardly hung about the walls, in addition to a product ship on its plinth in the corner.

In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni explained it absolutely was “not able” to confirm if a museum had at any time operated from these premises.

Stemmet advised the investigators the museum were moved simply because they could no more afford to pay for the lease of R100,000 per month. He said the CTMCA experienced obtained home for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal for that museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and were bought for the same cost. Schaapkraal is in the peri-urban space far from the town.

Due to this fact, the museum had been moved to a new place in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But after checking out the premises, which are in an industrial area, the investigators reported they doubted irrespective of whether a proper museum existed there. Pictures hooked up into the report clearly show a mishmash of randomly exhibited uniforms, musical instruments and assorted minstrel paraphernalia nailed to the wall, shown on tables and distribute out on the floor, without explanation.

“There is a minimum amount of things with the museum [that] under no circumstances characterize the much more than a hundred-12 months historical past in the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators said, introducing that there was “no signage outdoors the premises indicating that they housed a museum and … frequently, the museum isn't going to appear to be open to the general public.”

The CTMCA had breached the grant arrangement, Dabishi Nthambeleni noted, by transferring the location on the museum to another place devoid of notifying the NLC.



The Schaapkraal property, on which no museum was ever created. Image: Raymond Joseph

Buses
Stemmet told the investigators that the CTMCA had to maneuver in the rented Crete Road premises because it had operate up a R4-million personal debt with town of Cape City and was concerned its products can be connected.

“As a result of legal battles and the debts, the organisation experienced to move its assets from 5 Crete Highway to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the home of your organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.

Sedrick Soeker, the current director on the CTMCA, told them the two buses acquired with lottery funds ended up saved inside a solution location “hidden through the Sheriff”. But the investigators mentioned they ended up not able to substantiate that any buses experienced at any time been purchased.

Stemmet also confirmed that the buses had been concealed to halt them remaining seized. But in the event the investigators questioned being taken to your position wherever the buses ended up stored, he told them that “the operator of The key location wasn't available to open up the premises for us”.

“The CTMCA could not deliver proof of payment for 2 autos that it allegedly bought with grant revenue,” the investigators documented.

Soeker also explained to them the Schaapkraal house were bought due to the personal debt.

“Mr Soeker described that In keeping with his comprehension, mainly because of the debt owed to the City of Cape Town, the CTMCA made the decision It might be ideal to offer their [Schaapkraal] residence … and also to also to hide the assets from the CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the assets.”

JP Smith, Cape City’s mayco member for security and security, has Beforehand instructed GroundUp the CTMCA “threw money absent” on litigation with the City.

“Every year like clockwork, as we tactic the end of your yr, the CTMCA picks a lawful fight with the town, over permits or something else. We never initiate it. They hold throwing revenue away on vexatious litigation they eliminate and possess expenses awarded in opposition to them. This is often entirely self-inflicted,” he mentioned.

Soeker advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the leading job gamers on issues of Lottery funding have been Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were in control of all of the admin, funds and jogging หวย ลาว ย้อน หลัง the CTMCA.” The investigators claimed they were struggling to contact Momberg.

Hats
Throughout their “investigation in loco” in the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “identified several machines, some in superior ailment, some in terrible issue and several that looked rusty and extremely old”. Stemmet informed the investigators that there was also an off-web site storage facility where “devices and several equipment” have been saved.

“We requested him to consider us to the power but he was evasive to our request.”

Depending on photos and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, Otherwise all, of the goods appear to be products which was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s prior premises. Stemmet is facing rates for this removing.

In accordance with the final development report submitted towards the NLC through the CTMCA, the machinery was acquired from Martin-Conne Milliners, a corporation by which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter had been administrators at enough time.

The investigators identified this “alarming”.

“In the CIPC look for of Martin-Conne Milliners along with the invoices submitted, we Be aware the subsequent alarming locating: Mr Stemmet himself is a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered tackle of the organization is 5 Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape City, a similar address on which the museum was intended to be created and/or transformed,” they noted.

An audit by accountants Kopano Integrated, hooked up into the investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the whole process of purchasing “equipment, plant and inventory” valued at R8.one-million from Stalph 164 CC, buying and selling as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was an in depth Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors.

As outlined by Dabishi Nthambeleni, the company has paid R1.2-million being a deposit, indicating R6.nine-million remains owed, though there isn't a payment date set for when this should be paid.

The Kopano audit and also the near website link in between the businesses “point out to us that there is ‘foul Participate in’ involved with the purchase with the machinery of your museum workshop”, the investigators explained in the report.

“We find that it's really probable that CTMCA employed the funding of your NLC to ‘refund’ considered one of its primary directors for your residence at the next overpriced price than the actual value and value of the property and/or equipment.”

Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it had been unable to determine how the grant to your CTMCA had been used.

“Actually, a detailed report on how the funding with the NLC was employed, could well be unachievable since the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to verify the quantities spent on Just about every item it requested funding for. The interim report and closing report of the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.

The investigators discovered that the NLC had not conducted a website pay a visit to ahead of approving the grant. But this was not regular practice at some time plus they located no evidence of carelessness by NLC staff.

At the time, the NLC’s procedures did not need funded organisations to post proof of payment with interim stories, they identified. This meant which the CTMCA was capable of get a second tranche of funding without the need to supply evidence that it experienced used the primary tranche for its supposed purpose.

Subsequent the appointment of a different board, commissioner and senior govt team, the NLC has tightened up on these and also other difficulties.

Dabishi Nthambeleni proposed that

the NLC drop any upcoming funding purposes with the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any customers who have been associated with the grant be subjected to the NLC’s “delinquency” system;
the NLC open up a criminal scenario of fraud with SAPS or even the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC begin the entire process of recovering the misappropriated funds.
But, rather then act within the report’s tips, the NLC – below its past administration – selected to suppress it, as it had performed With all the past experiences into corruption it had commissioned.

GroundUp sent concerns to Stemmet and Soeker through SMS, and requested for e-mail addresses to ship the issues by e mail far too. But no reaction had been obtained at the time of publication.



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