Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution just after machines paid out for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal prices could incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom subject, is seeking to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenses and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, 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Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the issue was not placed on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The legal costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's seeking to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized expenses and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines substantial flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises had been a hat manufacturing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery from the eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is yet to get introduced having a cost sheet, doable charges, contain fraud, elimination of apparatus that were connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City energy meter, according to an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of much more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted for the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - in excess of R54.three-million - paid out from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary a long time, As outlined by Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ สลาก as two of several administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual experiences.
A different entity Together with the same name was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In line with CIPC records. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared plus the machinery was taken off, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial region, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s businesses in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
Even so, the meant new museum website, much like the outdated one in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and site visitors could not accessibility it. There was no signage over the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this calendar year soon after he fell ill.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had received Covid funding but lastly relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates consist of R1.4-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year reports. Stemmet is actually a former director of the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Having said that, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on superb studies associated with previously funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.