Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution right after tools paid for with cash through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison expenses could consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected via the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court docket make a difference, is in search of to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud following devices paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and informed to appear while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day although the make any difference wasn't placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's searching for to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medications significant flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises have been a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested a number of times for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery in the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to become offered with a cost sheet, probable expenses, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape City electricity meter, In line with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of greater than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted to your CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ltpbet as two of quite a few administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual stories.
A brand new entity Together with the exact name was subsequently registered as A personal company, but with Stemmet now not a director, according to CIPC records. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in 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 with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web page, such as outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage within the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this 12 months right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates consist of R1.4-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is usually a previous director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on superb reports connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.