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

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution following devices compensated for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal costs could consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were attached with the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court issue, is trying to get to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid hire, interest, lawful prices and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud after products compensated for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape City building.

Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.

GroundUp attended courtroom about the day even so the subject was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.

The criminal charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.

The setting up was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.

The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medications significant flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran through the premises ended up a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested a number of times for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery in the eighties.

In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.

While Stemmet is however being presented using a cost sheet, probable costs, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In keeping with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.

A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial yrs, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reviews.

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

Based on Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.

A different entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.

About the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises have been 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 region, which housed many of Stemmet’s enterprises along with a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.

However, the meant new museum web page, like the aged a person in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers could not access it. There was no signage over the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.

The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had obtained Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary tension.

Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly reports. Stemmet is a previous director from 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 Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions about remarkable reports linked to earlier funding acquired with the CTMCA.

GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired through 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 the to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.

MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business in which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually recommended that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s enterprise.

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