Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed by the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after equipment compensated for with cash with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the legal charges could involve fraud, removal of kit that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court docket matter, is in search of to Get well about 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 Town.
The creating was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and informed to appear while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the day even so the subject was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The criminal costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is trying to find to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized expenses and harm to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed numerous businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicine higher flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran with the premises were being a hat producing organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery inside the 1980s.
In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
While Stemmet is but to be offered with a charge sheet, doable costs, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were attached through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape City electric power meter, according to an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of over R64-million in Lottery money allotted into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial several years, Based on Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ ล้อ ต เต อ รี่ as two of quite a few directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the constructing 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 Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual reviews.
A whole new entity While using the exact name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In line with CIPC information. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Over the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises ended up cleared plus the machinery was removed, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial region, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the intended new museum web page, much like the aged one in Wetton, was properly faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and website visitors could not access it. There was no signage within the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this yr soon after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real 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 experienced received Covid funding but finally relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet can be a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on exceptional experiences connected with earlier funding acquired by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the acquisition of a 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, towards the purchase from the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo soon after Letwaba personally advisable that the grant be compensated to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.