Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution just after equipment compensated for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal charges could involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom subject, is trying to get to Get better over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the day even so the subject was not placed on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful fees and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed various businesses owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs high flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran with the premises ended up a hat manufacturing business and a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested various moments for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft within the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nonetheless to become offered that has a demand sheet, possible expenses, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were connected with the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter, In line with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, according to National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย วัน นี้ as two of various directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A different entity While using the same identify was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as administrators.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared as well as machinery was taken off, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial spot, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the meant new museum web page, such as outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly far from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates involve R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is a previous director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies relevant to previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company where the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.