Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution following tools paid out for with money with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony fees could incorporate fraud, removal of kit that had been connected from the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket make any difference, is in search of to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud following devices paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to seem during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day but the matter was not put on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The criminal rates stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-aged minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat producing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to become offered which has a charge sheet, achievable prices, include fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - in excess of R54.three-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ as two of various directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Home Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year studies.
A completely new entity With all the same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC data. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared plus 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 spot, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s firms and also a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the supposed new museum web site, much like the outdated just one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests could not obtain it. There was no signage over the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this calendar year just after he fell sick.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for your 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 with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on excellent experiences connected to earlier funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid out to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.