The mystery of the National Lottery-funded Cape Town Minstrel Museum

There have been several attempts to locate this establishment funded by the National Lottery says journalist Raymond Joseph.

Journalist Raymond Joseph has been investigating for GroundUp, the mystery around the Cape Minstrel Museum which was meant to open in Cape Town.

There have been several attempts to locate this establishment funded by the National Lottery.

In 2020 the National Lotteries Commissioner Thabang Mampane told Parliament in writing that the heritage museum had officially opened on 24 September 2016.

The National Lotteries Commission has not commented on whether they allocated millions to build the museum.

GroundUp investigated and found something that looked very different from what was expected.

Lottery boss misled Parliament https://t.co/R8ULd8OZUY @Corruption_SA

— GroundUp (@GroundUp_News) January 11, 2021

Zain Johnson, standing in for Lester Kiewit, talks to Raymond Joseph on The Midday Report.

The money was given to the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association which at the time was headed up by Richard “Pot” Stemmet which the police call a well-known drug high-flyer. He has been arrested many many times, and there was a guy called Kevin Momberg who dropped out of the picture.

Raymond Joseph, Investigative journalist - GroundUp

Joseph says once he began investigating, Stemmet resigned as a director from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association, however, two of his family members remain as directors.

They had oversight of the money.

Raymond Joseph, Investigative journalist - GroundUp

Joseph says he is currently working on a follow-up investigation to find out what happened to the millions allocated to the museum.

It is shocking where that money went to. Houses were bought, cars were bought, certain political party money was used...all will be revealed shortly. But it was a fortune.

Raymond Joseph, Investigative journalist - GroundUp

In February I went looking for that museum.

Raymond Joseph, Investigative journalist - GroundUp

He says there are premises in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape Town.

While waiting to meet Stemmet on that day, Joseph took a walk around the area.

I wandered around and I found this small hall...and on the wall was a photo montage of one of Potsdam's troops, the Pennsylvanian Troop, a tribute to a leader who had died, and a model boat with figures of the troop.

Raymond Joseph, Investigative journalist - GroundUp

He says Richard Stemmet became very angry.

He swore at me, he threatened me and he warned me to leave the story alone. And then he got one of his hoods really, to photograph me and photograph my number plate. It was a clear threat.

Raymond Joseph, Investigative journalist - GroundUp

Listen to the interview below:

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