Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution just after equipment compensated for with cash with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison fees could contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court docket subject, is in search of to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, authorized prices and damage to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud following gear compensated for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and informed to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the day though the make any difference wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket in January.
The felony fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to get to Get well about R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful prices and harm to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed quite a few businesses owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medication superior flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises ended up a hat manufacturing corporation along with a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested quite a few instances for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft within the eighties.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is however to generally be offered using a demand sheet, probable fees, contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electrical power meter, In accordance with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated for the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - around R54.three-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical several years, In accordance with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ สลาก as two of several administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly experiences.
A whole new entity While using the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, Based on CIPC information. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared and also the equipment was taken off, 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 numerous of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Even so, the meant new museum site, much like the outdated just one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage to the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this year just after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the one lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but at last relented under media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reports. Stemmet is really a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on outstanding studies connected to before funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be compensated to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.