Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution immediately after machines paid out for with money from your Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony expenses could incorporate fraud, elimination of kit that had been hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket make any difference, is searching for to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, legal fees and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following gear paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and informed to look while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the working day nevertheless the matter was not placed on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The felony prices stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to Get well about R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal costs and harm to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a prescription drugs significant flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises were being a hat producing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested many instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
While Stemmet is still to generally be offered using a demand sheet, feasible rates, contain fraud, elimination of apparatus that were hooked up with the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape City energy meter, according to an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted into the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - over R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic a long time, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย ผล สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล งวด as two of quite a few directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal company, but with Stemmet no more a director, Based on CIPC information. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared along with the equipment was taken off, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial space, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations along with a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum site, such as the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage to the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this year after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had received Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities associated with Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC annual reviews. Stemmet can be a previous director on the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered for the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nonetheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about superb reviews connected to earlier funding acquired by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization during which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.