Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution after gear paid for with resources in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the felony expenses could consist of fraud, elimination of equipment that had been connected with the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket matter, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (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 experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after equipment paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and explained to to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom over the working day though the matter was not put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal charges and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-aged minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed numerous corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs high flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat producing firm plus a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested many instances for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is still to generally be offered with a cost sheet, feasible prices, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering having a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In line with an electronic mail 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 part of greater than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted to the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - around R54.3-million - paid in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical decades, according to Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of many directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual studies.
A brand new entity Together with the exact name was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In line with CIPC information. In its place, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as directors.
Around the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared and also 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 within the Athlone industrial space, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum website, such as the previous a person in Wetton, was perfectly far from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't access it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this calendar year soon after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who had obtained Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is often a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, 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 after the NLC raised questions on superb studies connected to before funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.