Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution just after tools paid for with cash with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the legal charges could incorporate fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up by the Sheriff and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court docket issue, is trying to find to recover in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, authorized expenses and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-aged minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after products paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and advised to look while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom around the working day however the matter was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The prison charges stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's in search of to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful costs and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was previously the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed a number of companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medication significant flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat production corporation along with a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous moments for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed theft during the nineteen eighties.
In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is yet being presented which has a charge sheet, doable expenses, involve fraud, removal of apparatus that had been hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Town of Cape City electricity meter, As outlined by an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was part of more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated on the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - in excess of R54.three-million - paid out inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial decades, In keeping with Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล สลากกินแบ่ง as two of various directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual stories.
A brand new entity While using the very same identify was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet now not a director, according to CIPC records. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Within the night of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared and the equipment was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial space, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies and a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum web site, such as aged a single in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and website visitors could not access it. There was no signage around the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this 12 months right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the one lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had been given Covid funding but eventually relented below media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates involve R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is often a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on remarkable reports relevant to earlier funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is really a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.