Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution immediately after gear paid for with funds through the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the felony prices could include things like fraud, elimination of equipment that had been hooked up via the Sheriff and interfering having a Town of Cape Town electrical energy meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court matter, is seeking to Get well above R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal expenditures and harm to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel society was supposedly operating.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud after products paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Business Crime Unit on sixteen October 2024 and informed to look from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the working day although the make a difference was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The felony fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's in search of to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful fees and damage to a rented making in Crete Street, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many firms owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicines superior flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran in the premises were being a hat production corporation as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested a number of instances for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed theft within the 1980s.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is however for being presented having a demand sheet, doable prices, include things like fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a Town of Cape Town electricity meter, As outlined by an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to your CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid out inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary years, In accordance with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย หุ้น as two of many directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A different entity with the very same title was subsequently registered as A non-public company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, As outlined by CIPC documents. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared along with the machinery was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations and 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.
Even so, the intended new museum web-site, like the old one in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests could not entry it. There was no signage about the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this 12 months following he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that 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 experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his family and his associates contain R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual reports. Stemmet can be a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on fantastic experiences linked to previously funding gained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of the to legal professionals acting in the purchase of a 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 business by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s business.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.