Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution following products paid out for with money with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal charges could include fraud, removing of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court issue, is in search of to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal prices and harm to a rented making in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after machines paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Business Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and advised to appear within the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket to the day but the make any difference was not placed on the court docket roll because the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The prison expenses stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Recuperate in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal costs and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed numerous organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs significant flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat manufacturing corporation as well as a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested various situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery in the 1980s.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is yet to become presented using a charge sheet, possible prices, incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that were connected by the Sheriff, and interfering by using a City of Cape Town energy meter, In line with an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated on the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money a long time, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ออก as two of a number of administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly experiences.
A fresh entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. In its place, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared as well as the equipment was taken out, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial spot, which housed several of Stemmet’s enterprises as well as a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
However, the supposed new museum internet site, just like the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests couldn't entry it. There was no signage to the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this yr soon after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the one lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had gained Covid funding but ultimately relented under media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is usually a previous director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about superb reviews relevant to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to attorneys acting in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be compensated to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.