Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution soon after devices compensated for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal costs could incorporate fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering using a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom subject, is looking for to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal costs and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after equipment paid out for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to appear within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the working day but the matter was not put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket in January.
The felony fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get better in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal prices and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-aged minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicine superior flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran through the premises ended up a hat production business along with a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested several situations for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery from the 1980s.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to be presented by using a cost sheet, possible expenses, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City electric power meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - over R54.3-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical several years, according to National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย หุ้น ช่อง 9 วัน นี้ as two of a number of administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A completely new entity Using the exact same name was subsequently registered as A personal company, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC data. As a substitute, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
About the evening 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 from the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s enterprises as well as a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum site, just like the old one in Wetton, was well away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year soon after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. 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 obtained Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
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 Gatherings Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is often a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies connected to before funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm through which 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 that the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.