Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution soon after tools compensated for with cash from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the legal prices could incorporate fraud, removal of kit that were attached via the Sheriff and interfering with a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The charges stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil courtroom issue, is in search of to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized expenses and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after tools compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Business Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and advised to look while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the day though the make a difference was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The prison rates stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to get to Get well in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a prescription drugs large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises ended up a hat production firm plus a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested various moments for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery in the nineteen eighties.
In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is yet to generally be presented which has a cost sheet, achievable charges, include fraud, elimination of kit that had been attached by the Sheriff, and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of over R64-million in Lottery resources allocated towards the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic decades, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ผล สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล งวด as two of a number of administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A completely new entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
On the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with the machinery was taken off, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial place, which housed several of Stemmet’s firms in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum web-site, such as outdated just one in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage about the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is often a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies connected to before funding received from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm through which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.