Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution immediately after devices paid out for with funds in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony expenses could include fraud, elimination of kit that had been attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom make any difference, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-old minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after devices paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and explained to to seem within the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom over the day even so the make any difference wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to recover around 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 City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-old minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed various businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medication large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises had been a hat producing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various moments for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft while in the nineteen eighties.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nonetheless to become offered that has a demand sheet, possible expenses, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up via the Sheriff, and interfering with a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of over 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 decades, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ลาว ออก วัน นี้ สด 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 corporation 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 publishing once-a-year experiences.
A new entity With all the identical title was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, according to CIPC documents. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as administrators.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises have been cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with 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”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum internet site, similar to the outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not entry it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates consist of 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 yearly reports. Stemmet is a previous director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about fantastic experiences associated with earlier funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting 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 spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired 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.