Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after equipment compensated for with cash from your Lottery was removed from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal prices could incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket matter, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.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 money was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and informed to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day though the matter wasn't put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison prices stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to recover around R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town 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 law enforcement have called a drugs higher flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises were a hat producing corporation and also a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested many instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft while in the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to generally be presented by using a demand sheet, possible costs, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, In accordance with Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ผล หวย as two of several 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 corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year experiences.
A new entity With all the very same title was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC documents. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises have been cleared and also the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial region, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses as well as a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum site, like the aged a person in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not obtain it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but ultimately relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on excellent experiences linked to before funding received because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation can be a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization during which the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.