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

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution immediately after machines compensated for with funds through the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the criminal charges could consist of fraud, removing of equipment that were connected from the Sheriff and interfering using a Town of Cape Town energy meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom matter, is looking for to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful fees and damage to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-old minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud just after products paid for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape City making.

Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Business Crime Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and advised to appear from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.

GroundUp attended court docket within the day though the issue wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.

The criminal prices stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's seeking to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenses and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.

The developing was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.

The premises also housed many organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine substantial flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran in the premises ended up a hat producing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed robbery within the eighties.

In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.

Whilst Stemmet is however to become introduced that has a charge sheet, probable fees, contain fraud, removing of apparatus that were attached through the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape Town electric power meter, according to an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make any difference.

A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of over R64-million in Lottery resources allotted towards the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary several years, In keeping with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.

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

As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Mental House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reviews.

A completely new entity With all the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.

Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was taken off, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial area, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.

Even so, the intended new museum web-site, such as old 1 in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage about the making indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this year just after he fell sick.

The funding to determine a museum was not the one lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had been given Covid funding but last but not least relented under media and parliamentary stress.

Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates contain R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is often a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on outstanding studies associated with earlier funding gained by the CTMCA.

GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.

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

MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally encouraged that the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.

GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.