Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution following tools paid out for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony prices could consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electric power meter.
The fees stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court subject, is looking for to Get well around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud soon after gear compensated for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town making.

Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.

GroundUp attended court around the day even so the subject wasn't placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.

The prison rates stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's searching for to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized fees and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the commercial area 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 city’s generations-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly running.

The premises also housed several companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine higher flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat manufacturing organization and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested various times for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed robbery inside the 1980s.

In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.

Even though Stemmet is nevertheless to get presented with a cost sheet, achievable expenses, include fraud, removing of kit that had been hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape City electric power meter, As outlined by an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.

A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated to your CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - in excess of R54.three-million - paid within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial yrs, In keeping with Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reviews.

Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ผล สลาก as two of numerous directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.

In line with Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Property Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual stories.

A whole new entity While using the very same title was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC data. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.

On the night of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared as well as the machinery was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s businesses as well as a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.

Nevertheless, the intended new museum web-site, just like the previous just one in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage over the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this yr just after he fell sick.

The funding to establish a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but ultimately relented less than media and parliamentary strain.

Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities connected to Stemmet and his family and his associates contain R1.4-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reports. Stemmet is really a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Road workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on remarkable reviews connected to earlier funding gained by the CTMCA.

GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received through the CTMCA.

Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.

MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually advisable that the grant be paid to his spouse’s organization.

GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.