Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution immediately after devices paid out for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the prison prices could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electric power meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil courtroom make any difference, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, authorized costs and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after equipment paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and explained to to appear during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the working day however the issue was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony prices stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is in search of to Get better above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenses and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed numerous companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medication superior flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises ended up a hat production company and also a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested a number of situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft inside the eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless to get presented which has a charge sheet, feasible rates, include things like fraud, removal of kit that had been connected from the Sheriff, and interfering which has a City of Cape City electrical energy meter, according to an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary many years, In line with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ออก as two of quite a few administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly experiences.
A fresh entity with the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In line with CIPC information. In its place, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Over the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises were cleared and also the machinery was removed, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial region, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s businesses and also a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum website, similar to the aged one in Wetton, was nicely from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't entry it. There was no signage to the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this year after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced gained Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates include things like R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC annual reports. Stemmet is really a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC elevated questions on outstanding stories related to earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally suggested which the grant be paid to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.