Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed because of the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution immediately after devices paid out for with funds within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the criminal prices could incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil courtroom make any difference, is searching for to Recuperate in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, authorized fees 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Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the day but the make a difference was not placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony expenses stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's seeking to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid lease, desire, authorized costs and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-aged minstrel society was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few businesses owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medication large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises have been a hat production firm in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested numerous moments for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery within the nineteen eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
While Stemmet is nevertheless to be offered by using a demand sheet, attainable costs, include things like fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached with the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City electricity meter, In line with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of greater than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted to the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - over R54.three-million - paid within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary years, according to Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued เช ค หวย as two of many directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly experiences.
A fresh entity While using the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC data. In its place, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
To the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared as well as machinery was removed, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
However, the supposed new museum web site, such as the previous a single in Wetton, was properly faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not obtain it. There was no signage on the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this calendar year right 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 allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC to begin with refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but last but not least relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates consist of R1.4-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet can be a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and style programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about remarkable experiences linked to previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.