Leaked report exposes abuse of lottery cash paid to minstrel group

Minstrels carry out in Athlone on two January 2017. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks

A report by attorneys Dabishi Nthambeleni into a R27.three-million grant because of the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) to get a minstrels museum has observed no evidence that a museum ever existed.
The investigators discovered that the CTMCA didn't make use of the R5-million allocated to order or develop a museum.
They also uncovered the CTMCA only purchased land well worth R1.seven-million, not R5-million as allocated.
They discovered the CTMCA used cash from the Lottery to buy workshop products from among its have directors, Richard “Pot” Stemmet.
A leaked forensic report reveals how numerous rand granted to the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) through the National Lotteries Fee (NLC) to build a museum to celebrate the city’s wealthy minstrel background went astray. The museum was by no means developed.

The small print of the abuse of countless rands of Lottery money for any museum that never ever was are disclosed within an investigative report commissioned by the NLC in 2021.

The museum grant was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted towards the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017.

The very first Element of the investigation, by legislation company Dabishi Nthambeleni, was done involving September 2020 and January 2021 and centered on a R27.3-million grant into the CTMCA in 2014, which involved funding to the museum. The accepted price range for that museum was much more than R12.8-million, with R5-million of that allotted for a developing to accommodate the museum.

Read through the report (PDF, 7MB)

The NLC tasked Dabishi Nthambeleni to investigate the acquisition of a developing for your museum and whether the museum “actually existed”.

The organization was also instructed to investigate

the acquisition with Lottery funds of two cars – a 60-seater bus as well as a 23-seater bus – for R2.4-million; and
many machines “procured to the producing in the costumes and hats” for that minstrels carnival, for R5.four-million.
At enough time, convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet was director from the CTMCA. He was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996. He resigned in December 2016 but his wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing as two of many administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in Might 2021.

The investigation followed comprehensive reporting by GroundUp with regard to the millions of rands of Lottery funding allotted towards the CTMCA (see listed here, here and right here) and the way in which the money almost certainly assisted finance the ANC’s 2014 election campaign within the Western Cape, led by at enough time by Marius Fransman.



The creating on the correct was the supposed web site of your minstrels’ museum, in the middle of an industrial location in Primrose Park, Cape Town. Picture: Raymond Joseph

In reaction to the Parliamentary query, former NLC Commissioner Thabang Mampane mentioned grants to 3 CTMCA “jobs” - such as the museum - concerning 2012 and 2015. All three tasks were completed, she told MPs.

Even so the investigators observed no evidence that a museum had ever existed.

At the outset the museum was resulting from open in rented premises in Crete Road, Wetton. A photo attained by GroundUp with the supposed Wetton museum reveals a espresso shop with a few musical instruments and minstrel costumes and collages of images haphazardly hung about the partitions, and also a product ship on its plinth in the corner.

In its report, Dabishi Nthambeleni mentioned it had been “not in a position” to verify if a museum experienced ever operated from these premises.

Stemmet instructed the investigators the museum were moved given that they could no longer manage the lease of R100,000 per month. He stated the CTMCA had bought home for R1.7-million in Schaapkraal to the museum, but could not get it rezoned, and had been sold for a similar value. Schaapkraal is inside of a peri-urban region much from the city.

Due to this fact, the museum had been moved to a whole new site in Primrose Park in February 2021, Stemmet told the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators. But following checking out the premises, which can be within an industrial location, the investigators reported they doubted whether or not a suitable museum existed there. Photos hooked up towards the report display a mishmash of randomly exhibited uniforms, musical instruments and diverse minstrel paraphernalia nailed to your wall, shown on tables and unfold out on the ground, without having clarification.

“There is a minimal level of merchandise with the museum [that] under no circumstances signify the in excess of a hundred-year historical past with the Cape City Carnival, the investigators reported, introducing that there was “no signage outside the premises indicating that they housed a museum and … frequently, the museum does not appear to generally be open to the general public.”

The CTMCA experienced breached the grant arrangement, Dabishi Nthambeleni mentioned, by moving The situation from the museum to an alternative spot with no notifying the NLC.



The Schaapkraal property, on which no museum was ever developed. Photo: Raymond Joseph

Buses
Stemmet informed the investigators the CTMCA had to move with the rented Crete Highway premises as it had operate up a R4-million personal debt with town of Cape City and was scared its devices will be connected.

“A result of the legal battles plus the debts, the organisation had to maneuver its assets from five Crete Road to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the house on the organisation,” Stemmet advised the investigators.

Sedrick Soeker, The existing director in the CTMCA, told them that the two buses purchased with lottery money were stored in a very magic formula location “hidden through the Sheriff”. Nevertheless the investigators claimed they were unable to substantiate that any buses experienced at any time been bought.

Stemmet also verified that the buses had been hidden to halt them staying seized. But in the event the investigators asked being taken towards the location in which the buses were saved, he explained to them that “the proprietor of The key area was not accessible to open up the premises for us”.

“The CTMCA couldn't deliver proof of payment for 2 motor vehicles that it allegedly bought with grant cash,” the investigators documented.

Soeker also informed them the Schaapkraal assets had been marketed due to the debt.

“Mr Soeker explained that In keeping with his knowledge, due to debt owed to the town of Cape City, the CTMCA determined It will be greatest to market their [Schaapkraal] assets … and also to also to hide the assets of your CTMCA to stay away from the sheriff from attaching the home.”

JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayco member for protection and protection, has Formerly informed GroundUp that the CTMCA “threw income away” on litigation with the town.

“Annually like clockwork, as we solution the tip of the 12 months, the CTMCA picks a lawful battle with the town, more than permits or something else. We never initiate it. They maintain throwing income away on vexatious litigation that they get rid of and also have charges awarded from them. That is fully self-inflicted,” he explained.

Soeker informed the Dabishi Nthambeleni investigators that the primary role gamers on issues of Lottery funding were being Stemmet and former CTMCA board member Kevin Momberg, “who were being in command of every one of the admin, finances and managing สลาก กิน the CTMCA.” The investigators claimed they had been not able to Make contact with Momberg.

Hats
During their “investigation in loco” for the Primrose Park premises, the investigators “discovered a lot of equipment, some in great affliction, some in poor problem and many that appeared rusty and intensely aged”. Stemmet told the investigators that there was also an off-internet site storage facility wherever “devices and some machinery” had been held.

“We asked him to consider us to the facility but he was evasive to our ask for.”

Dependant on pics and invoices in GroundUp’s possession, some, if not all, from the items look like products which was illegally removed from the CTMCA’s previous premises. Stemmet is experiencing expenses for this removing.

According to the closing progress report submitted to your NLC through the CTMCA, the equipment was obtained from Martin-Conne Milliners, a corporation through which Stemmet, his spouse and his daughter were being administrators at the time.

The investigators discovered this “alarming”.

“From your CIPC research of Martin-Conne Milliners plus the invoices submitted, we Observe the next alarming acquiring: Mr Stemmet himself is often a director of Martin-Conne Milliners. The registered tackle of the corporate is 5 Crete Road, Wetton, Cape Town, precisely the same deal with on which the museum was intended to be constructed and/or transformed,” they documented.

An audit by accountants Kopano Incorporated, connected on the investigative report, recorded the CTMCA was in the process of buying “equipment, plant and stock” 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 among the directors.

Based on Dabishi Nthambeleni, the corporate has paid R1.2-million for a deposit, this means R6.nine-million is still owed, even though there is not any payment day set for when this have to be paid out.

The Kopano audit along with the near website link among the companies “suggest to us that there's ‘foul Perform’ involved in the acquisition from the equipment with the museum workshop”, the investigators mentioned within the report.

“We discover that it is remarkably probable that CTMCA applied the funding on the NLC to ‘refund’ among its most important directors for the house at the next overpriced price than the actual selling price and price of the property and/or machinery.”

Suggestions
Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded that it was unable to ascertain how the grant to your CTMCA were used.

“In reality, a detailed report on how the funding from the NLC was utilized, can be difficult given that the CTMCA doesn't have any receipts, or proof of payments to substantiate the amounts spent on Each individual merchandise it asked for funding for. The interim report and ultimate report from the CTMCA only connect invoices,” Dabishi Nthambeleni concluded.

The investigators discovered which the NLC experienced not carried out a site check out before approving the grant. But this was not common observe at the time and so they observed no proof of carelessness by NLC workforce.

At some time, the NLC’s guidelines did not need funded organisations to submit evidence of payment with interim reports, they identified. This intended the CTMCA was capable to receive a next tranche of funding without the need to deliver proof that it had utilized the first tranche for its meant goal.

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

Dabishi Nthambeleni advised that

the NLC drop any long term funding apps from the 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 felony circumstance of fraud with SAPS or maybe the Hawks for allegations of fraud; and
the NLC begin the process of recovering the misappropriated funds.
But, instead of act around the report’s tips, the NLC – less than its past administration – chose to suppress it, as it experienced accomplished Together with the prior experiences into corruption it had commissioned.

GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet and Soeker via SMS, and requested for electronic mail addresses to ship the questions by e mail too. But no response had been been given at the time of publication.



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

https://javorka.online
https://ufabetsea.online
https://ufabetwine.online
https://ufabetsc.online
https://ufabethunter.online
https://ufawinbet.site
https://sagaming99.site
https://sagaming93.online
https://sagaming92.online
https://sagaming91.online
https://sagaming90.online
https://javbom.online
https://javcanna.online
https://javmini.online
https://javoops.online
https://javhubs.online
https://javep.online
https://javzooms.online
https://javporns.online
https://javbros.online
https://sagamings.online
https://huaylnw.shop
https://huayka.shop
https://huaynaja.shop
https://huay1.site
https://huay2.site
https://huay3.site
https://huay4.site
https://huay5.site
https://huay6.site
https://edeltanet.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *