Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution soon after devices paid out for with funds within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison prices could contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been attached because of the Sheriff and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape Town electric power meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court make a difference, is trying to get to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, authorized expenses and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was previously the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud after tools paid for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Business Crime Unit on sixteen October 2024 and informed to seem from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court on the day but the matter was not placed on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The criminal expenses stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's seeking to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, authorized fees and harm to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicines higher flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises have been a hat production enterprise plus a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested several situations for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft within the 1980s.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nevertheless for being introduced using a demand sheet, achievable costs, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that were attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, As outlined by an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of greater than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - above R54.three-million - paid out inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic years, As outlined by National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ย้อน หลัง as two of quite a few directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity While using the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. As an alternative, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises were being cleared plus the equipment was taken out, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial location, 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 gear at The brand new premises.
However, the meant new museum site, like the aged a person in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell ill.
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 relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is usually a previous director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies connected to before funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers performing 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 where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advised the grant be compensated to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.