Leaked report exposes abuse of lottery income paid to minstrel group

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

A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni right into a R27.3-million grant because of the Countrywide Lotteries Fee for the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) for just a minstrels museum has observed no proof that a museum ever existed.
The investigators located that the CTMCA didn't make use of the R5-million allocated to obtain or establish a museum.
They also found that the CTMCA only purchased land truly worth R1.7-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They discovered the CTMCA utilized cash through the Lottery to buy workshop tools from considered one of its own directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how countless rand granted for the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) through the Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) to arrange a museum to rejoice the town’s rich minstrel history went astray. The museum was in no way established.

The small print from the abuse of many rands of Lottery cash for just a museum that never ever was are exposed within an investigative report commissioned from the NLC in 2021.

The museum grant was Component of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allotted to the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017.

The main Element of the investigation, by legislation business Dabishi Nthambeleni, was conducted between September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.three-million grant to your CTMCA in 2014, which incorporated funding for that museum. The authorised funds to the museum was more than R12.eight-million, with R5-million of that allocated for any building to accommodate the museum.

Read the report (PDF, 7MB)

The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to research the acquisition of the developing for that museum and whether or not the museum “truly existed”.

The business was also instructed to investigate

the purchase with Lottery funds of two autos – a 60-seater bus plus a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
different devices “purchased for that production on the costumes and hats” for the minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At some time, convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director from the CTMCA. He was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued as two of many directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in May 2021.

The investigation adopted substantial reporting by GroundUp in regards to the numerous rands of Lottery funding allotted to the CTMCA (see right here, right here and below) and how the money likely helped finance the ANC’s 2014 election marketing campaign from the Western Cape, led by at the time by Marius Fransman.



The setting up on the ideal was the meant site of the minstrels’ museum, in the course of an industrial spot in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Picture: Raymond Joseph

In reaction to your Parliamentary query, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane shown grants to 3 CTMCA “jobs” - including the museum - in between 2012 and 2015. All three initiatives were finished, she informed MPs.

Even so the investigators located no proof that a museum had at any time existed.

At first the museum was because of open up in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photograph attained by GroundUp of your intended Wetton museum exhibits a espresso shop with a few musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of photographs haphazardly hung on the walls, and also a model ship on its plinth in the corner.

In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni said it had been “not able” to substantiate if a museum had ever operated from these premises.

Stemmet instructed the investigators the museum were moved since they could no longer manage the lease of R100,000 a month. He said the CTMCA experienced ordered residence for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal for your museum, but could not get it rezoned, and were marketed for a similar value. Schaapkraal is within a peri-city spot far from the town.

Consequently, the museum were moved to a fresh locale in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But immediately after visiting the premises, that happen to be within an industrial space, the investigators said they doubted no matter whether a correct museum existed there. Photographs attached towards the report display a mishmash of randomly exhibited uniforms, musical devices and diverse minstrel paraphernalia nailed to the wall, exhibited on tables and unfold out on the floor, with no explanation.

“There's a nominal level of objects on the museum [that] by no means signify the greater than one hundred-year record in the Cape City Carnival, the investigators reported, introducing that there was “no signage outside the premises indicating that they housed a museum and … typically, the museum does not look to generally be open up to the general public.”

The CTMCA had breached the grant agreement, Dabishi Nthambeleni noted, by going The placement on the museum to another site without the need of notifying the NLC.



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

Buses
Stemmet told the investigators that the CTMCA had to move from the rented Crete Road premises since it experienced run up a R4-million credit card debt with the town of Cape City and was worried its tools will be connected.

“As a result of authorized battles plus the debts, the organisation had to move its home from five Crete Highway to steer clear of the sheriff from attaching the house in the organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.

Sedrick Soeker, The present director of the CTMCA, advised them that the two buses bought with lottery cash had been saved in the top secret site “concealed through the Sheriff”. However the investigators claimed they have been unable to confirm that any buses had ever been purchased.

Stemmet also confirmed the buses had been concealed to halt them remaining seized. But once the investigators requested to get taken into the location the place the buses have been stored, he informed them that “the owner of the secret area was not available to open the premises for us”.

“The CTMCA couldn't offer proof of payment for two cars that it allegedly procured with grant money,” the investigators reported.

Soeker also informed them the Schaapkraal residence were sold due to financial debt.

“Mr Soeker explained that In keeping with his being familiar with, mainly because of the credit card debt owed to town of Cape Town, the CTMCA made the decision it would be very best to market their [Schaapkraal] residence … also to also to cover the property of your CTMCA to avoid the sheriff from attaching the assets.”

JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for protection and protection, has Earlier instructed GroundUp the CTMCA “threw funds away” on litigation with the town.

“Each and every year like clockwork, as we strategy the top with the year, the CTMCA picks a legal battle with the town, around permits or something else. We hardly ever initiate it. They preserve throwing income away on vexatious litigation that they drop and have expenses awarded towards them. This really is completely self-inflicted,” he stated.

Soeker told the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the main job players on problems with Lottery funding ended up Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who ended up in command of every one of the admin, finances and functioning หวย ลาว ย้อน หลัง the CTMCA.” The investigators stated they were not able to Make contact with Momberg.

Hats
Throughout their “investigation in loco” in the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “observed a lot of machines, some in fantastic condition, some in negative ailment and a few that seemed rusty and very aged”. Stemmet told the investigators that there was also an off-internet site storage facility where by “devices plus some equipment” were held.

“We requested him to get 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 former premises. Stemmet is going through charges for this removing.

According to the closing development report submitted for the NLC because of the CTMCA, the equipment was bought from Martin-Conne Milliners, a firm wherein Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter were directors at the time.

The investigators identified this “alarming”.

“With the CIPC look for of Martin-Conne Milliners and the invoices submitted, we Be aware the next alarming obtaining: Mr Stemmet himself can be a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered deal with of the organization is five Crete Street, Wetton, Cape Town, the identical address on which the museum was meant to be created and/or converted,” they described.

An audit by accountants Kopano Incorporated, connected towards the investigative report, recorded which the CTMCA was in the entire process of purchasing “machinery, plant and inventory” valued at R8.one-million from Stalph 164 CC, trading as Martin-Conne Milliners. Staph 164 was a detailed Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors.

In keeping with Dabishi Nthambeleni, the organization has paid out R1.two-million to be a deposit, meaning R6.nine-million remains owed, although there isn't a payment day set for when this need to be paid out.

The Kopano audit and the shut connection concerning the businesses “reveal to us that there is ‘foul Participate in’ linked to the purchase of the equipment from the museum workshop”, the investigators said during the report.

“We find that it's very possible that CTMCA utilised the funding from the NLC to ‘refund’ amongst its principal administrators with the house at the next overpriced fee than the particular price and value of the home and/or machinery.”

Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it had been unable to ascertain how the grant on the CTMCA had been put in.

“Actually, a detailed report on how the funding from the NLC was utilized, could be not possible because the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or evidence of payments to verify the quantities expended on Just about every merchandise it asked for funding for. The interim report and ultimate report of your CTMCA only attach invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.

The investigators uncovered that the NLC experienced not done a web page pay a visit to right before approving the grant. But this wasn't regular follow at enough time they usually discovered no evidence of negligence by NLC staff.

At enough time, the NLC’s regulations didn't involve funded organisations to post evidence of payment with interim experiences, they identified. This meant the CTMCA was capable of receive a second tranche of funding without having to provide evidence that it had utilized the very first tranche for its supposed reason.

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

Dabishi Nthambeleni advised that

the NLC decrease any potential funding purposes from your CTMCA;
the CTMCA and any users who were associated with the grant be subjected to your NLC’s “delinquency” process;
the NLC open a legal situation of fraud with SAPS or even the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC get started the entire process of recovering the misappropriated cash.
But, as opposed to act about the report’s recommendations, the NLC – below its prior administration – selected to suppress it, since it had carried out Using the previous stories into corruption it had commissioned.

GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet and Soeker by means of SMS, and asked for electronic mail addresses to ship the concerns by email too. But no reaction were acquired at some time of publication.



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

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