Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution soon after products paid for with funds within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the felony fees could contain fraud, removing of equipment that were attached with the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court docket make a difference, is trying to find to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful expenses and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and informed to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day though the make any difference wasn't put on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony expenses stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized expenses and harm to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed various businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicine high flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat producing corporation along with a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested several times for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft during the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless to get presented by using a charge sheet, doable costs, involve fraud, elimination of apparatus that were connected with the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter, Based on an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the issue.
A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated for the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - more than R54.3-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal many years, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ผล หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of numerous directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly experiences.
A whole new entity While using the exact same name was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet now not a director, according to CIPC records. As a substitute, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared and the equipment was eliminated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum website, much like the outdated just one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates include R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is actually a former director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that's registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about outstanding studies related to earlier funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.