Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed because of the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution after gear paid for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal prices could contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected from the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court make a difference, is in search of to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized fees and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud right after equipment paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen October 2024 and advised to appear while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the working day but the matter wasn't put on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The legal charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid hire, interest, authorized expenses and harm to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-old minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicine significant flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises had been a hat manufacturing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested various moments for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is but being introduced having a cost sheet, attainable rates, consist of fraud, removal of equipment that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, In line with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to your CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - above R54.3-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal yrs, In line with 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 ongoing ตรวจ หวย as two of various directors in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the directors. The business was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly experiences.
A whole new entity While using the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, according to CIPC records. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared and the equipment was eliminated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial region, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Even so, the meant new museum site, such as the old a single in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors could not access it. There was no signage to the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this year after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who experienced gained Covid funding but ultimately relented less than media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates involve R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is often a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and style programme”. However, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on exceptional experiences linked to previously funding been given through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation can be a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing 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 in which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s corporation.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.