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

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution following devices paid for with money within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the prison fees could consist of fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering having a Town of Cape Town electrical energy meter.
The fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom make a difference, is in search of to recover about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, lawful expenses and harm to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-old minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town constructing.

Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and informed to look inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.

GroundUp attended courtroom around the day however the subject wasn't put on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.

The criminal expenses stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's in search of to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, legal expenditures and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.

The building was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.

The premises also housed numerous enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicines substantial flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran with the premises have been a hat producing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.

In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.

Whilst Stemmet is nevertheless to be presented that has a demand sheet, achievable rates, incorporate fraud, elimination of kit that were connected via the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, In line with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.

A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal many years, In keeping with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly experiences.

Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล as two of quite a few directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.

In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.

A fresh entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC records. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as directors.

Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared as well as machinery was eradicated, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial space, which housed numerous 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 new premises.

Even so, the intended new museum internet site, much like the outdated just one in Wetton, was perfectly faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage on the developing indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises before this 12 months following he fell unwell.

The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA received. 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 obtained Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary strain.

Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities connected to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates consist of R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is usually a previous director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on excellent experiences linked to previously funding gained from the CTMCA.

GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.

Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals 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 through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.

GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.