Leaked report exposes abuse of lottery dollars paid out to minstrel group
Leaked report exposes abuse of lottery dollars paid out to minstrel group
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Minstrels accomplish in Athlone on 2 January 2017. Archive Image: Ashraf Hendricks
A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.three-million grant by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission towards the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) for your minstrels museum has identified no proof that a museum ever existed.
The investigators found the CTMCA did not utilize the R5-million allocated to acquire or build a museum.
In addition they found the CTMCA only acquired land well worth R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allotted.
They identified the CTMCA made use of resources from your Lottery to purchase workshop gear from one of its personal administrators, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how numerous rand granted for the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) from the National Lotteries Fee (NLC) to set up a museum to rejoice town’s prosperous minstrel history went astray. The museum was never developed.
The details on the abuse of an incredible number of rands of Lottery resources for a museum that under no circumstances was are revealed within an investigative report commissioned by the NLC in 2021.
The museum grant was Portion of much more than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017.
The primary Portion of the investigation, by law business Dabishi Nthambeleni, was executed among September 2020 and January 2021 and focused on a R27.three-million grant on the CTMCA in 2014, which incorporated funding for that museum. The authorized finances to the museum was more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allocated for your setting up to deal with the museum.
Browse the report (PDF, 7MB)
The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the purchase of the setting up for that museum and whether the museum “basically existed”.
The organization was also instructed to investigate
the acquisition with Lottery resources of two motor vehicles – a sixty-seater bus in addition to a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
various machines “bought for the producing with the costumes and hats” to the minstrels carnival, for R5.4-million.
At some time, convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director on the CTMCA. He was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of a number of administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in May 2021.
The investigation followed extensive reporting by GroundUp concerning the numerous rands of Lottery funding allotted towards the CTMCA (see in this article, right here and listed here) and the best way the cash almost certainly assisted finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign inside the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.
The setting up on the best was the supposed web-site in the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial spot in Primrose Park, Cape City. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
In reaction to some Parliamentary problem, previous NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane outlined grants to three CTMCA “projects” - including the museum - in between 2012 and 2015. All three jobs had been done, she advised MPs.
Nevertheless the investigators found no proof that a museum experienced at any time existed.
At the outset the museum was as a result of open up in rented premises in Crete Highway, Wetton. A photograph attained by GroundUp from the intended Wetton museum displays a espresso shop with some musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of images haphazardly hung to the partitions, and also a product ship on its plinth in a very corner.
In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni reported it absolutely was “not able” to confirm if a museum experienced at any time operated from these premises.
Stemmet advised the investigators the museum had been moved because they could now not find the money for the rent of R100,000 per month. He mentioned the CTMCA experienced acquired property for R1.seven-million in Schaapkraal for the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and were sold for the same price. Schaapkraal is in a very peri-city location significantly from town.
Because of this, the museum were moved to a new area in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet instructed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But after going to the premises, that happen to be in an industrial spot, the investigators claimed they doubted whether a proper museum existed there. Shots hooked up to your report demonstrate a mishmash of randomly displayed uniforms, musical devices and diverse minstrel paraphernalia nailed towards the wall, exhibited on tables and spread out on the ground, without any rationalization.
“There exists a minimal number of things within the museum [that] by no means characterize the greater than one hundred-calendar year history in the Cape Town Carnival, the investigators claimed, introducing that there was “no signage outside the house the premises indicating which they housed a museum and … generally, the museum doesn't search to get open to the public.”
The CTMCA experienced breached the grant settlement, Dabishi Nthambeleni observed, by transferring The placement from the museum to another site devoid of notifying the NLC.
The Schaapkraal house, on which no museum was ever designed. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
Buses
Stemmet explained to the investigators which the CTMCA had to maneuver from the rented Crete Highway premises since it experienced run up a R4-million debt with town of Cape Town and was fearful its gear will be connected.
“Due to the lawful battles as well as the debts, the organisation experienced to maneuver its home from 5 Crete Street to avoid the sheriff from attaching the house of your organisation,” Stemmet informed the investigators.
Sedrick Soeker, The existing director in the CTMCA, explained to them the two buses acquired with lottery resources had been saved in a key site “concealed in the Sheriff”. Even so the investigators claimed they ended up unable to verify that any buses experienced at any time been acquired.
Stemmet also verified the buses had been concealed to prevent them staying seized. But if the investigators asked to generally be taken on the location where by the buses have been saved, he told them that “the proprietor of The trick area wasn't accessible to open the premises for us”.
“The CTMCA couldn't supply proof of payment for 2 vehicles that it allegedly bought with grant funds,” the investigators documented.
Soeker also advised them the Schaapkraal house had been bought due to credit card debt.
“Mr Soeker discussed that In keeping with his being familiar with, mainly because of the credit card debt owed to the City of Cape Town, the CTMCA decided It could be very best to provide their [Schaapkraal] home … and also to also to cover the assets on the CTMCA to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the home.”
JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for basic safety and stability, has previously informed GroundUp that the CTMCA “threw income away” on litigation with the town.
“Annually like clockwork, as we solution the top with the calendar year, the CTMCA picks a authorized combat with the town, above permits or something else. We by no means initiate it. They keep throwing revenue absent on vexatious litigation that they lose and possess fees awarded towards them. This is fully self-inflicted,” he mentioned.
Soeker explained to the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the principle function players on problems with Lottery funding were Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who ended up in control of every one of the admin, funds and running ตรวจ หวย รัฐบาล the CTMCA.” The investigators mentioned they were not able to contact Momberg.
Hats
For the duration of their “investigation in loco” in the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “located numerous machines, some in very good ailment, some in poor issue and many that appeared rusty and intensely outdated”. Stemmet instructed the investigators that there was also an off-web page storage facility where “devices plus some equipment” have been held.
“We asked him to take us to the power but he was evasive to our request.”
Depending on pictures 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 going through charges for this elimination.
In accordance with the final progress report submitted to your NLC from the CTMCA, the machinery was ordered from Martin-Conne Milliners, an organization through which Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter were being administrators at some time.
The investigators found this “alarming”.
“In the CIPC lookup of Martin-Conne Milliners along with the invoices submitted, we Notice the next alarming locating: Mr Stemmet himself is actually a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered address of the company is five Crete Street, Wetton, Cape City, a similar deal with on which the museum was meant to be created and/or converted,” they described.
An audit by accountants Kopano Incorporated, hooked up towards the investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the process of obtaining “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 among the administrators.
According to Dabishi Nthambeleni, the business has paid out R1.two-million for a deposit, this means R6.nine-million remains owed, though there's no payment date established for when this needs to be compensated.
The Kopano audit plus the near website link among the companies “point out to us that there is ‘foul play’ linked to the purchase of your machinery of the museum workshop”, the investigators claimed inside the report.
“We discover that it's very possible that CTMCA utilized the funding with the NLC to ‘refund’ certainly one of its key administrators for the house at the next overpriced rate than the actual value and worth of the house and/or machinery.”
Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it had been unable to establish how the grant for the CTMCA had been spent.
“In reality, an in depth report on how the funding of your NLC was made use of, might be difficult since the CTMCA does not have any receipts, or evidence of payments to confirm the quantities put in on Every product it requested funding for. The interim report and closing report in the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.
The investigators discovered the NLC experienced not performed a web page 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 regulations didn't have to have funded organisations to post proof of payment with interim reviews, they pointed out. This intended the CTMCA was in the position to receive a second tranche of funding without having to deliver evidence that it had used the main tranche for its meant objective.
Next the appointment of a different board, commissioner and senior executive workforce, the NLC has tightened up on these and also other problems.
Dabishi Nthambeleni encouraged that
the NLC decline any foreseeable future funding purposes from your CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any customers who were being involved in the grant be subjected for the NLC’s “delinquency” course of action;
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 resources.
But, rather than act on the report’s tips, the NLC – less than its past administration – chose to suppress it, as it experienced completed With all the prior experiences into corruption it had commissioned.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet and Soeker by using SMS, and requested for electronic mail addresses to deliver the thoughts by e-mail far too. But no response had been gained at some time of publication.
The minstrel “museum” in Crete Road, Wetton. Photograph: Raymond Joseph
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