Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution after devices compensated for with funds with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the legal costs could consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected from the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court make any difference, is trying to find to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized costs and damage to a rented building in Crete Road, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after equipment paid for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape City making.

Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and informed to look in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.

GroundUp attended court docket to the day however the matter was not placed on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.

The criminal prices stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized expenses and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.

The setting up was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.

The premises also housed various firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medication significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran within the premises had been a hat manufacturing enterprise plus a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested various times for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft in the 1980s.

In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.

Whilst Stemmet is however to be introduced that has a charge sheet, possible rates, incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached by the Sheriff, and interfering with a City of Cape Town electricity meter, As outlined by an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.

A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Portion of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.3-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal yrs, As outlined by Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year experiences.

Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ รางวัล as two of a number of administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.

As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly experiences.

A completely new entity With all the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC documents. Rather, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.

Over the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared and the equipment was taken out, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial spot, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s enterprises and also a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.

Nonetheless, the intended new museum web page, just like the old a single in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't entry it. There was no signage over the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell ill.

The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC to begin with refused to reveal who had received Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary force.

Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet can be a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on fantastic reports relevant to earlier funding acquired by the CTMCA.

GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.

Also less than investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.

MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition of your mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally proposed the grant be compensated to his wife’s company.

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