Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution soon after products paid for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the felony expenses could consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket matter, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud following equipment paid out for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and told to seem within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket within the day even so the matter wasn't put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The prison rates stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's searching for to Recuperate more than R2.five-million in unpaid lease, interest, lawful charges and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-old minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicine high flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat manufacturing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested various periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft from the 1980s.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to become offered with a charge sheet, doable charges, incorporate fraud, elimination of kit that were hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter, Based on an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Element of more than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated towards the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - over R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic decades, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing lottovip as two of numerous 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 administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A whole new entity While using the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as directors.
On the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared and also the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s corporations and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum internet site, much like the previous a single in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and readers couldn't access it. There was no signage over the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises previously this 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 association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had obtained Covid funding but last but not least relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates include R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet is really 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 on 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 outstanding reviews connected with previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be compensated to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.