Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution after tools paid out for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony prices could incorporate fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering using a Town of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court subject, is looking for to Get better more than R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-old minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after products paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and advised to look inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the working day but the make a difference was not placed on the court docket roll as 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 criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is searching for to Recuperate more than R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized fees and harm to a rented making in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed quite a few firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medicines high flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises had been a hat manufacturing firm in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested several instances for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery within the 1980s.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is however to become introduced using a demand sheet, attainable costs, include fraud, elimination of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a City of Cape Town energy meter, In line 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 more than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated towards the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - over R54.three-million - compensated in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic several years, In keeping with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ลาว as two of a number of administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year reports.
A completely new entity With all the exact name was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, Based on CIPC data. In its place, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared and also the equipment was taken off, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed various of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum web page, just like the previous a single in Wetton, was properly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and website visitors could not access it. There was no signage around the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months soon after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates include R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is usually a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on excellent studies related to earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba personally advisable that the grant be paid out to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.