Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed from the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution right after machines compensated for with cash within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison rates could incorporate fraud, removing of kit that were connected by the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electric power meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court issue, is seeking to Recuperate around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, lawful costs and harm to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud just after products paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the working day but the make a difference was not put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The criminal costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's searching for to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal prices and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicine superior flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat producing firm plus a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is still for being offered which has a charge sheet, achievable prices, include fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town electricity meter, Based on an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted for the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ลาว ล่าสุด as two of numerous directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A brand new entity With all the very same name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared as well as machinery was taken off, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial spot, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the supposed new museum website, just like the old one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not access it. There was no signage over the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is usually a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about fantastic experiences related to earlier funding obtained through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization in which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually recommended that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.