Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution right after tools paid for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony expenses could include fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected via the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court subject, is seeking to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful costs and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after products compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the issue was not placed on the court docket roll as 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 is seeking to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines substantial flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises have been a hat manufacturing business and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft from the 1980s.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is still to become offered which has a charge sheet, achievable prices, include fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary decades, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual 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 หวย รัฐบาล as two of a number of administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A different entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, As outlined by CIPC data. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises were cleared as well as machinery was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial place, which housed several of Stemmet’s firms in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum internet site, much like the previous a single in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage on the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is a previous director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies relevant to before funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company where the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.