Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed because of the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution just after machines paid out for with money from your Lottery was removed from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal prices could incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape City electricity meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket matter, is trying to find to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, authorized prices and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after products paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and informed to seem during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the working day however the make a difference was not placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The prison prices stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Recuperate more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal prices and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed quite a few firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a prescription drugs substantial flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises had been a hat production corporation and a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested many moments for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft inside the eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
While Stemmet is still for being introduced by using a demand sheet, attainable charges, include things like fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electricity meter, In keeping with an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated on the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - over R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial many years, In line with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ สลาก as two of a number of administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly experiences.
A brand new entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared plus the machinery was eradicated, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum site, just like the old one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on superb reviews relevant to before funding received from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through 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 the to attorneys performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.