Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution right after machines paid for with cash within the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the prison prices could contain fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected with the Sheriff and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court docket make a difference, is trying to get to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized charges and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following devices paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and advised to seem in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the day though the subject wasn't put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The legal charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to find to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful costs and harm to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed various corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a drugs substantial flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat producing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested many periods for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery within the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is yet to generally be offered using a demand sheet, doable fees, include things like fraud, removal of kit that had been attached from the Sheriff, and interfering which has a City of Cape Town energy meter, As outlined by an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of greater than R64-million in Lottery money allocated towards the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - above R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial years, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year 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 รางวัล as two of many directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly experiences.
A whole new entity with the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public company, but with Stemmet no more a director, according to CIPC information. As a substitute, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Over the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared plus the machinery was removed, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s businesses and also a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
Having said that, the supposed new museum website, similar to the outdated 1 in Wetton, was effectively far from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and guests couldn't obtain it. There was no signage within the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises before this 12 months just after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had been given Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates incorporate R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year reviews. Stemmet is actually a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered within the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC lifted questions about remarkable reviews connected to earlier funding acquired by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advisable which the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.