Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution soon after products paid out for with cash with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the criminal rates could involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil courtroom make any difference, is searching for to Recuperate in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, lawful expenses and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud just after equipment paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Crime Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket around the working day nevertheless the subject wasn't put on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The criminal fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to find to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was previously the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-old minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicines significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran in the premises have been a hat production firm and also a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is still to get presented that has a charge sheet, doable costs, include fraud, removal of kit that were hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In line with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to your CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - about R54.3-million - compensated while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic many years, according to National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing fox888 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, a close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A new entity Using the identical name was subsequently registered as a private enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, As outlined by CIPC data. As an alternative, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial location, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum web-site, similar to the outdated just one in Wetton, was perfectly faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers could not accessibility it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year soon 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 had gained Covid funding but at last relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is a previous director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on excellent reviews relevant to before funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase 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 the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo following Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.