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

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution soon after equipment compensated for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the legal charges could incorporate fraud, elimination of equipment that were connected from the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court docket issue, is in search of to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-aged minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud following tools paid for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town setting up.

Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen October 2024 and advised to look while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.

GroundUp attended court docket around the working day nevertheless the make a difference wasn't put on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket in January.

The felony expenses stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is in search of to Get better more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful costs and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.

The creating was Formerly the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.

The premises also housed quite a few firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs significant flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat manufacturing firm and also a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested a number of instances for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.

According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.

While Stemmet is nevertheless to get presented with a charge sheet, possible prices, incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, As outlined by an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the issue.

A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was part of over R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to your CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - more than R54.3-million - paid out during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money yrs, As outlined by Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reports.

Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตา ว จ หวย as two of several administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.

In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one among the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing yearly experiences.

A different entity with the similar identify was subsequently registered as A personal organization, but with Stemmet no more a director, In keeping with CIPC records. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.

To the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared as well as equipment was taken out, In accordance 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 corporations as well as a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.

Having said that, the meant new museum website, such as the outdated a person in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests could not accessibility it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this calendar year just after he fell sick.

The funding to determine a museum was not the only lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had been given Covid funding but last but not least relented under media and parliamentary strain.

Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual reviews. Stemmet is really a former director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC elevated questions on excellent stories related to earlier funding acquired because of the CTMCA.

GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.

Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.

MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business during which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba personally advisable that the grant be paid to his wife’s company.

GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.