Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution after gear paid out for with cash in the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the felony rates could contain fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been hooked up via the Sheriff and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom make a difference, is searching for to recover in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized prices and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud following equipment paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and informed to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the working day even so the make a difference was not placed on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The prison fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's in search of to Get well over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, legal expenses and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed a number of organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicines higher flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises ended up a hat producing firm along with a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested a number of periods for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery within the 1980s.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is however to become presented by using a charge sheet, possible costs, contain fraud, removal of apparatus that were connected by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electric power meter, In line with an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated for the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial decades, according to Nationwide 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 continued ผล หวย หุ้น as two of various directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly reports.
A whole new entity with the very same title was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, In accordance with CIPC information. Alternatively, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
To the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared as well as machinery was eradicated, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial area, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations along with a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum site, just like the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests could not access it. There was no signage on the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this year after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates include things like R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC annual reviews. Stemmet can be a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Even so, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about outstanding stories related to previously funding gained from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.