Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution just after equipment paid for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
According to a prosecutor the prison fees could incorporate fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket issue, is in search of to Get better more than R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, lawful expenditures and harm to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud just after products compensated for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and informed to seem inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court about the working day however the subject wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized charges and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed several enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicines higher flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran through the premises were a hat manufacturing corporation as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested numerous moments for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft within the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is but to become introduced that has a charge sheet, probable fees, include fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected via the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City electrical energy meter, In line with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted on the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical several years, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ออก as two of various directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A fresh entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A non-public organization, but with Stemmet not a director, Based on CIPC records. Instead, a relative, 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 ended up cleared as well as the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial region, which housed many of Stemmet’s enterprises along with a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum site, like the aged just one in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this calendar year soon after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates include things like R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet is actually a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on excellent stories associated with previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.