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

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution right after equipment paid for with funds from your Lottery was removed from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal charges could consist of fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil courtroom issue, is trying to get to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, legal expenditures and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud after tools compensated for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town constructing.

Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.

GroundUp attended court docket to the working day although the make any difference wasn't placed on the court 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 prices stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get better in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal expenditures and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape City.

The creating was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.

The premises also housed quite a few companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medication higher flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises were being a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested several periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.

According to an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.

Although Stemmet is but to generally be presented using a cost sheet, doable rates, consist of fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached from the Sheriff, and interfering using a City of Cape Town electricity meter, Based on an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.

A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated into the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal years, In line with Countrywide 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 สลาก as two of various directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.

In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.

A completely new entity with the exact same identify was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC information. As an alternative, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as directors.

Around the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools 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”, In line with 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, such as aged just one in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and site visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage within the building indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months following he fell sick.

The funding to determine a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who had obtained Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.

Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is a previous director in 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 experiences linked to earlier funding acquired because of the CTMCA.

GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with 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 being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase on the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.

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