Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution just after machines paid out for with money in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony costs could consist of fraud, elimination of kit that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil courtroom subject, is seeking to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after equipment paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and instructed to look in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day although the make any difference wasn't placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal rates stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized costs and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-old minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medications higher flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat producing business plus a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested a number of periods for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery inside the nineteen eighties.
In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is yet to generally be offered using a charge sheet, probable expenses, consist of fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electrical energy meter, according to an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted into the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - about R54.three-million - compensated in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal several years, As outlined by National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ออก as two of a number of administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A fresh entity While using the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC data. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared along with the machinery was taken off, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial place, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s corporations and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web-site, such as outdated just one in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and site visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this calendar year soon after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but ultimately relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates consist of R1.4-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is usually a previous 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 just a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on superb reports linked to previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm through which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.