Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution right after products paid for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony fees could incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court subject, is seeking to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal fees and damage to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the day nevertheless the subject was not placed on the court roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony expenses stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to get to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-old minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran with the premises were being a hat production firm plus a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various moments for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nonetheless for being offered which has a charge sheet, achievable prices, include fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, In line with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic decades, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย หุ้น as two of several directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity Along with the exact title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC information. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Over the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared as well as machinery was removed, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial spot, which housed several of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum site, just like the old 1 in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and visitors could not access it. There was no signage on the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this 12 months soon after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the only lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had gained Covid funding but ultimately relented less than media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC annual reports. Stemmet is really a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC raised questions about superb studies connected to before funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is actually a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys 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 company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase from the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.