Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed by the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution after equipment compensated for with cash through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony costs could consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom make any difference, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following machines paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the subject was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The legal costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get well above R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized costs and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-aged minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs high flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat manufacturing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested quite a few moments for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nonetheless to become offered which has a charge sheet, achievable fees, involve fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City electricity meter, Based on an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted for the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal many years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued สลาก กิน รัฐบาล as two of many directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual studies.
A different entity While using the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC information. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared and the machinery was eradicated, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s enterprises and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web-site, such as outdated just one in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who had obtained Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is actually a former director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and style programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions about remarkable reports linked to previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting 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 former 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 after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.