Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution just after gear paid out for with cash in the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the legal prices could involve fraud, removing of kit that had been attached via the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court make any difference, is searching for to Get better more than R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after gear compensated for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape City making.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court over the day although the matter wasn't put on the court roll since the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal prices stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized expenditures and damage to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed various organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medication superior flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran in the premises were being a hat producing business plus a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested a number of situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery within the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
While Stemmet is still being presented which has a demand sheet, feasible charges, include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that had been hooked up with the Sheriff, and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, according to an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to your CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - more than R54.3-million - compensated in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical years, Based on Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ลาว ล่าสุด as two of many directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly stories.
A brand new entity Together with the exact title was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, In accordance with CIPC data. As a substitute, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared as well as the equipment was taken out, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web-site, such as aged a person in Wetton, was well away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people could not accessibility it. There was no signage over the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this year after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates consist of R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about superb reviews related to previously funding been given because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to lawyers acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested which the grant be paid to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.