Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution after tools paid out for with money within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the criminal charges could contain fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up by the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court make any difference, is trying to find to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal fees and harm to a rented making in Crete Road, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after machines paid out for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and instructed to seem inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom around the working day although the subject wasn't placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The felony expenses stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to recover above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenses and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed various firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medication superior flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran in the premises ended up a hat manufacturing organization plus a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested a number of instances for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery inside the 1980s.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is but to become introduced with a demand sheet, achievable charges, include things like fraud, elimination of kit that were attached via the Sheriff, and interfering by using a City of Cape Town electric power meter, Based on an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Component of more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated towards the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal several years, As outlined by National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of numerous administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Mental House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly reviews.
A new entity While using the exact same title was subsequently registered as A non-public business, but with Stemmet no more a director, Based on CIPC information. As a substitute, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
About the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared as well as the equipment was eradicated, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial region, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations as well as a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum site, just like the old a single in Wetton, was properly faraway from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises before this yr right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had been given Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates contain R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is actually a former director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on exceptional experiences associated with previously funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally recommended 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.