Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution soon after machines paid for with funds with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the criminal fees could contain fraud, elimination of equipment that were connected with the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court make a difference, is seeking to Get better around R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, legal expenses and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and explained to to seem in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the working day but the matter wasn't placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The legal expenses stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is looking for to Get better more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized expenses and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel society was supposedly running.
The premises also housed various organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a prescription drugs large flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran in the premises have been a hat production firm in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested various situations for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed robbery within the eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is yet being presented by using a demand sheet, achievable rates, incorporate fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electric power meter, Based on an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - more than R54.three-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย รัฐบาล as two of several directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year experiences.
A new entity With all the very same title was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared plus the machinery was eradicated, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum website, much like the previous a single in Wetton, was effectively far from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage over the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this calendar year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to determine 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 relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary strain.
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 that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in 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 style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about remarkable reviews relevant to before funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.