Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution immediately after gear paid for with money within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the felony charges could include things like fraud, removing of apparatus that had been connected through the Sheriff and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter.
The fees stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil courtroom matter, is in search of to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful fees and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following products paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and told to look during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom over the day though the make a difference was not put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The prison costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed many businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a prescription drugs significant flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises were a hat production enterprise along with a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous periods for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft in the nineteen eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is yet to be introduced that has a charge sheet, probable expenses, include fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached by the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In accordance with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated on the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - over R54.three-million - paid within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical yrs, As outlined by National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of a number of administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly stories.
A fresh entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
Over the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared and the equipment was taken out, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the intended new museum web page, such as the outdated a person in Wetton, was nicely from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and site visitors could not accessibility it. There was no signage about the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this 12 months soon after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but last but not least relented under media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his family and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual studies. Stemmet can be a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on exceptional experiences connected with before funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given from the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization where the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally encouraged that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.