Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution soon after machines compensated for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal charges could include fraud, elimination of kit that had been attached via the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom make any difference, is in search of to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful costs and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after products compensated for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and explained to to look from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day though the issue was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The prison costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed a number of enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicines significant flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran from the premises ended up a hat producing business in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested a number of instances for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery from the eighties.
Based on an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to become offered that has a charge sheet, doable expenses, include fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected via the Sheriff, and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter, Based on an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allotted for the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal yrs, As outlined by Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ สลาก as two of numerous 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 one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity Along with the similar title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, 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 quite a few of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web page, such as aged a person in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year soon after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies related to earlier funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.