Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution immediately after devices paid out for with funds from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony costs could involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket matter, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal fees and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after machines paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the issue was not put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison prices stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, authorized prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few businesses owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs high flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested a number of situations for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery from the 1980s.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to be presented that has a demand 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, In keeping with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of greater than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated into the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - over R54.3-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical several years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล สลากกินแบ่ง as two of various directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was among the directors. The corporation 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 Together with the very same title was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC documents. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared along with the machinery was eradicated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s enterprises plus a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
However, the meant new museum web site, similar to the aged one in Wetton, was effectively clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage to the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this year right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but lastly relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is often a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about remarkable reviews connected to earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.