Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution soon after equipment paid for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the prison expenses could consist of fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been connected via the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The charges stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil courtroom make a difference, is in search of to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, lawful prices and damage to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was previously the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud following gear paid out for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and instructed to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the working day though the matter wasn't placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket in January.
The prison expenses stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Get better more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized prices and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed quite a few firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medication significant flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises were a hat manufacturing firm and a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested a number of moments for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft inside the eighties.
Based on an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless being presented which has a charge sheet, possible charges, include things like fraud, removal of kit that had been attached via the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, In keeping with an electronic mail 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 funds allocated for the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - in excess of R54.3-million - paid in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial years, Based on Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล as two of a number of administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity While using the exact same name was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared as well as machinery was removed, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial space, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s enterprises as well as a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum internet site, similar to the outdated a person in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage about the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is often a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about superb reviews connected to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.