Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution after devices compensated for with funds through the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal costs could incorporate fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached by the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom matter, is trying to find to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized costs and harm to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid out for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and informed to look while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day though the matter was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal expenses stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized expenses and harm to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed various companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a drugs large flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises were a hat producing company along with a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless to get presented by using a demand sheet, achievable rates, contain fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape Town electric power meter, In keeping with an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.3-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of many administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual stories.
A fresh entity While using the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, In keeping with CIPC records. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
On the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Road premises have been cleared and also the machinery was removed, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed several of Stemmet’s enterprises as well as a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
However, the supposed new museum website, such as the outdated one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests could not access it. There was no signage around the developing 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 was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation 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 stress.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates involve R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is usually a previous director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at the moment 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 additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on outstanding studies related to earlier funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally encouraged that the grant be paid out to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.