Leaked report exposes abuse of lottery money compensated to minstrel team

Minstrels accomplish in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive Picture: Ashraf Hendricks

A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni right into a R27.3-million grant via the Countrywide Lotteries Fee towards the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for the minstrels museum has found no evidence that a museum ever existed.
The investigators uncovered which the CTMCA didn't utilize the R5-million allotted to order or establish a museum.
Additionally they located that the CTMCA only acquired land value R1.7-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They located the CTMCA utilized cash with the Lottery to buy workshop machines from among its have directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how an incredible number of rand granted into the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) to arrange a museum to rejoice town’s rich minstrel history went astray. The museum was under no circumstances established.

The main points of your abuse of numerous rands of Lottery money for a museum that never was are revealed in an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC in 2021.

The museum grant was A part of much more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted into the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017.

The main part of the investigation, by legislation agency Dabishi Nthambeleni, was conducted involving September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.three-million grant into the CTMCA in 2014, which included funding for your museum. The accepted finances for that museum was more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allotted for the making to accommodate the museum.

Read through the report (PDF, 7MB)

The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to analyze the acquisition of a making with the museum and if the museum “actually existed”.

The agency was also instructed to investigate

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

The investigation adopted extensive reporting by GroundUp regarding the millions of rands of Lottery funding allotted on the CTMCA (see in this article, right here and below) and just how the cash likely aided finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign inside the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.



The constructing on the appropriate was the intended site of the minstrels’ museum, in the midst of an industrial location in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photo: Raymond Joseph

In response to a Parliamentary issue, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane mentioned grants to a few CTMCA “jobs” - such as the museum - involving 2012 and 2015. All 3 projects had been accomplished, she instructed MPs.

Even so the investigators identified no proof that a museum had ever existed.

In the beginning the museum was as a consequence of open in rented premises in Crete Street, Wetton. A photo acquired by GroundUp on the intended Wetton museum exhibits a coffee store with some musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of pictures haphazardly hung about the partitions, and also a product ship on its plinth in a very corner.

In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni stated it had been “not ready” to verify if a museum experienced at any time operated from these premises.

Stemmet advised the investigators the museum had been moved since they could no more manage the hire of R100,000 per month. He explained the CTMCA experienced bought residence for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal with the museum, but couldn't get it rezoned, and were bought for a similar value. Schaapkraal is in a very peri-city area considerably from the town.

Subsequently, the museum had been moved to a brand new locale in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But following visiting the premises, which can be in an industrial location, the investigators said they doubted whether a suitable museum existed there. Photographs connected to the report demonstrate a mishmash of randomly displayed uniforms, musical instruments and various minstrel paraphernalia nailed to your wall, displayed on tables and spread out on the floor, without any clarification.

“You will find a small number of goods with the museum [that] by no means signify the over a hundred-12 months history of your Cape Town Carnival, the investigators reported, including that there was “no signage outside the house the premises indicating which they housed a museum and … normally, the museum would not search being open up to the general public.”

The CTMCA had breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni noted, by relocating the location of the museum to another site devoid of notifying the NLC.



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

Buses
Stemmet informed the investigators the CTMCA had to move from your rented Crete Road premises because it had run up a R4-million personal debt with the City of Cape Town and was worried its products could well be hooked up.

“Due to legal battles and the debts, the organisation had to move its home from 5 Crete Road to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the home with the organisation,” Stemmet told the investigators.

Sedrick Soeker, The present director with the CTMCA, told them which the two buses acquired with lottery cash have been saved in the top secret place “hidden within the Sheriff”. Even so the investigators claimed they were being not able to substantiate that any buses experienced at any time been bought.

Stemmet also confirmed which the buses were hidden to halt them becoming seized. But in the event the investigators asked being taken to the put where the buses were being stored, he advised them that “the proprietor of The trick locale was not accessible to open the premises for us”.

“The CTMCA couldn't give evidence of payment for two autos that it allegedly purchased with grant income,” the investigators noted.

Soeker also explained to them the Schaapkraal property had been marketed as a result of credit card debt.

“Mr Soeker discussed that according to his being familiar with, mainly because of the debt owed to the town of Cape Town, the CTMCA decided It might be very best to market their [Schaapkraal] residence … and also to also to hide the belongings with the CTMCA to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the residence.”

JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for basic safety and safety, has Formerly advised GroundUp the CTMCA “threw cash away” on litigation with town.

“Annually like clockwork, as we tactic the tip of your yr, the CTMCA picks a authorized fight with town, around permits or something else. We hardly ever initiate it. They preserve throwing revenue away on vexatious litigation they get rid of and possess expenses awarded in opposition to them. This really is entirely self-inflicted,” he explained.

Soeker advised the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the primary position players on issues of Lottery funding have been Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who have been in charge of the many admin, finances and functioning ผล หวย the CTMCA.” The investigators said they had been not able to Call Momberg.

Hats
In the course of their “investigation in loco” for the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “uncovered numerous equipment, some in fantastic ailment, some in undesirable problem plus some that looked rusty and intensely old”. Stemmet instructed the investigators that there was also an off-website storage facility wherever “instruments and several equipment” were being retained.

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

Determined by photos and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, with the items look like gear that was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s previous premises. Stemmet is going through fees for this removing.

Based on the last development report submitted to the NLC through the CTMCA, the machinery was purchased from Martin-Conne Milliners, an organization during which Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter have been directors at enough time.

The investigators identified this “alarming”.

“Within the CIPC lookup of Martin-Conne Milliners and the invoices submitted, we note the next alarming finding: Mr Stemmet himself can be a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the organization is 5 Crete Road, Wetton, Cape Town, precisely the same deal with on which the museum was intended to be designed and/or converted,” they noted.

An audit by accountants Kopano Included, connected to the investigative report, recorded that the CTMCA was in the entire process of acquiring “equipment, plant and stock” valued at R8.one-million from Stalph 164 CC, trading as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was among the directors.

In line with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the organization has compensated R1.2-million to be a deposit, that means R6.nine-million continues to be owed, while there's no payment day set for when this have to be compensated.

The Kopano audit and also the close url concerning the companies “indicate to us that there's ‘foul Participate in’ linked to the acquisition of the equipment on the museum workshop”, the investigators explained inside the report.

“We find that it's very possible that CTMCA applied the funding in the NLC to ‘refund’ certainly one of its main directors with the home at an increased overpriced charge than the particular selling price and value of the house and/or machinery.”

Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it absolutely was unable to determine how the grant for the CTMCA were invested.

“In point of fact, an in depth report on how the funding in the NLC was made use of, will be unachievable since the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or evidence of payments to substantiate the quantities spent on Just about every item it asked for funding for. The interim report and final report from the CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.

The investigators observed which the NLC had not performed a web page visit just before approving the grant. But this was not normal follow at time and so they discovered no proof of negligence by NLC workforce.

At some time, the NLC’s procedures didn't have to have funded organisations to submit evidence of payment with interim reports, they identified. This intended the CTMCA was capable of receive a second tranche of funding while not having to provide proof that it had utilized the very first tranche for its intended purpose.

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

Dabishi Nthambeleni advisable that

the NLC drop any potential funding purposes through the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who were associated with the grant be subjected into the NLC’s “delinquency” method;
the NLC open a felony circumstance of fraud with SAPS or maybe the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC start the process of recovering the misappropriated money.
But, as an alternative to act to the report’s suggestions, the NLC – beneath its earlier administration – chose to suppress it, as it had carried out With all the earlier reviews into corruption it had commissioned.

GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet and Soeker via SMS, and questioned for e mail addresses to deliver the thoughts by e mail as well. But no reaction were obtained at some time of publication.



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

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