Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution immediately after tools compensated for with resources from your Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
According to a prosecutor the prison rates could involve fraud, elimination of kit that were attached through the Sheriff and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape Town energy meter.
The costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom make a difference, is in search of to Get better around R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal costs and damage to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after tools compensated for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and informed to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the working day although the subject was not put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The legal prices stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Get well over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, lawful costs and harm to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed numerous companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs substantial flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran with the premises were a hat production company plus a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested quite a few moments for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft in the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is nonetheless to become introduced by using a charge sheet, achievable fees, involve fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter, In line with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated for the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.three-million - compensated in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary several years, according to Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย as two of several administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Home Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual reports.
A different entity With all the very same identify was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
About the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared as well as machinery was eradicated, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial region, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum web page, like the old a single in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage over the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this year just after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates involve R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet can be a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on outstanding studies related to earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company 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 after Letwaba Individually encouraged that the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.