Leaked report exposes abuse of lottery dollars paid to minstrel group

Minstrels execute in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks

A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.three-million grant through the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) for the minstrels museum has located no proof that a museum ever existed.
The investigators identified which the CTMCA didn't utilize the R5-million allocated to buy or establish a museum.
In addition they observed that the CTMCA only bought land value R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They discovered the CTMCA utilized funds through the Lottery to buy workshop gear from considered one of its very own directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how an incredible number of rand granted to your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) to put in place a museum to rejoice the city’s prosperous minstrel background went astray. The museum was under no circumstances made.

The small print of your abuse of countless rands of Lottery resources for the museum that by no means was are discovered in an investigative report commissioned from the NLC in 2021.

The museum grant was part of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated to your CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017.

The main Component of the investigation, by regulation business Dabishi Nthambeleni, was done among September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.3-million grant to the CTMCA in 2014, which integrated funding with the museum. The authorised finances with the museum was more than R12.8-million, with R5-million of that allocated for your creating to accommodate the museum.

Study the report (PDF, 7MB)

The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the purchase of a making for your museum and if the museum “really existed”.

The organization was also instructed to research

the purchase with Lottery money of two motor vehicles – a 60-seater bus and also a 23-seater bus – for R2.four-million; and
several devices “procured for your manufacturing from the costumes and hats” to the minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At some time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director with the CTMCA. He was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing as two of many administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in Could 2021.

The investigation adopted considerable reporting by GroundUp with regard to the an incredible number of rands of Lottery funding allocated to your CTMCA (see right here, here and in this article) and the best way the resources possibly served finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign from the Western Cape, led by at some time by Marius Fransman.



The creating on the appropriate was the intended web site on the minstrels’ museum, in the middle of an industrial area in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Picture: Raymond Joseph

In reaction to your Parliamentary question, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane shown grants to a few CTMCA “assignments” - including the museum - amongst 2012 and 2015. All three tasks were concluded, she advised MPs.

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

Initially the museum was as a result of open up in rented premises in Crete Street, Wetton. A photograph obtained by GroundUp in the meant Wetton museum reveals a coffee store with some musical devices and minstrel costumes and collages of pictures haphazardly hung over the walls, in addition to a design ship on its plinth in a corner.

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

Stemmet informed the investigators the museum were moved simply because they could no more afford the rent of R100,000 per month. He claimed the CTMCA experienced acquired home for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal to the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and were bought for the same price. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-urban location significantly from town.

Subsequently, the museum were moved to a different spot in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But following going to the premises, which might be in an industrial area, the investigators said they doubted no matter whether a suitable museum existed there. Images hooked up for the report display a mishmash of randomly shown uniforms, musical instruments and various minstrel paraphernalia nailed on the wall, exhibited on tables and distribute out on the floor, without having rationalization.

“There is a small degree of items within the museum [that] by no means signify the greater than a hundred-yr record on the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators stated, introducing that there was “no signage outdoors the premises indicating they housed a museum and … usually, the museum doesn't look to generally be open to the general public.”

The CTMCA experienced breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni noted, by going The placement in the museum to an alternative location with no notifying the NLC.



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

Buses
Stemmet instructed the investigators the CTMCA had to maneuver through the rented Crete Street premises because it had operate up a R4-million debt with the City of Cape Town and was worried its devices might be hooked up.

“A result of the authorized battles plus the debts, the organisation had to maneuver its residence from five Crete Street to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the house in the organisation,” Stemmet explained to the investigators.

Sedrick Soeker, The existing director of your CTMCA, informed them the two buses purchased with lottery money ended up saved in a mystery locale “concealed through the Sheriff”. However the investigators explained they ended up not able to confirm that any buses experienced at any time been acquired.

Stemmet also verified which the buses were hidden to prevent them staying seized. But in the event the investigators requested to get taken for the place the place the buses had been saved, he instructed them that “the proprietor of The key area was not available to open up the premises for us”.

“The CTMCA couldn't offer proof of payment for two cars that it allegedly ordered with grant revenue,” the investigators claimed.

Soeker also explained to them the Schaapkraal assets had been offered because of the personal debt.

“Mr Soeker explained that Based on his knowing, as a result of personal debt owed to the town of Cape City, the CTMCA made the decision It will be ideal to sell their [Schaapkraal] residence … also to also to hide the property of your CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the house.”

JP Smith, Cape City’s mayco member for protection and security, has Formerly advised GroundUp the CTMCA “threw revenue absent” on litigation with town.

“Every year like clockwork, as we method the end of the year, the CTMCA picks a lawful struggle with the town, above permits or something else. We by no means initiate it. They maintain throwing money absent on vexatious litigation that they lose and possess charges awarded against them. This is fully self-inflicted,” he mentioned.

Soeker explained to the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the principle role players on problems with Lottery funding had been Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were being in control of many of the admin, funds and operating ตรวจ รางวัล the CTMCA.” The investigators reported they had been struggling to Make contact with Momberg.

Hats
During their “investigation in loco” with the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “uncovered several devices, some in superior problem, some in terrible ailment and some that looked rusty and extremely old”. Stemmet informed the investigators that there was also an off-internet site storage facility the place “instruments and a few machinery” were saved.

“We requested him to just take us to the facility but he was evasive to our ask for.”

Based upon images and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, of your objects appear to be devices that was illegally faraway from the CTMCA’s prior premises. Stemmet is struggling with expenses for this removing.

According to the closing development report submitted towards the NLC because of the CTMCA, the equipment was obtained from Martin-Conne Milliners, a firm in which Stemmet, his wife and his daughter had been directors at time.

The investigators located this “alarming”.

“Within the CIPC look for of Martin-Conne Milliners and the invoices submitted, we note the subsequent alarming getting: Mr Stemmet himself is a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered handle of the corporate is 5 Crete Highway, Wetton, Cape City, precisely the same address on which the museum was meant to be developed and/or transformed,” they documented.

An audit by accountants Kopano Included, attached into the investigative report, recorded that the CTMCA was in the whole process of buying “equipment, plant and inventory” 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 one of the directors.

In keeping with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the organization has paid R1.2-million like a deposit, that means R6.9-million remains to be owed, while there is no payment day established for when this have to be paid out.

The Kopano audit as well as the close link between the businesses “show to us that there's ‘foul Enjoy’ associated with the acquisition on the machinery with the museum workshop”, the investigators mentioned in the report.

“We find that it's extremely possible that CTMCA used the funding on the NLC to ‘refund’ one of its principal administrators with the home at a better overpriced amount than the particular price and value of the home and/or machinery.”

Recommendations
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it 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 not possible given that the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or evidence of payments to verify the amounts put in on Each individual product it requested funding for. The interim report and final report of the CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.

The investigators identified that the NLC had not executed a web-site pay a visit to before approving the grant. But this was not typical apply at enough time they usually found no evidence of negligence by NLC staff.

At some time, the NLC’s principles didn't involve funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim stories, they identified. This meant that the CTMCA was capable to receive a second tranche of funding without needing to supply proof that it experienced applied the 1st tranche for its supposed reason.

Subsequent the appointment of a brand new board, commissioner and senior govt staff, the NLC has tightened up on these and other challenges.

Dabishi Nthambeleni advised that

the NLC drop any long run funding applications from the CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who had been linked to the grant be subjected on the NLC’s “delinquency” approach;
the NLC open up a prison situation of fraud with SAPS or even the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC start out the process of recovering the misappropriated resources.
But, in lieu of act within the report’s recommendations, the NLC – less than its former administration – selected to suppress it, mainly because it experienced performed With all the preceding studies into corruption it had commissioned.

GroundUp sent questions to Stemmet and Soeker via SMS, and requested for e-mail addresses to send the issues by e-mail too. But no response were gained at the time of publication.



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

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