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

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution right after devices paid out for with cash from the Lottery was removed from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony prices could involve fraud, elimination of equipment that were connected through the Sheriff and interfering having a Town of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil courtroom matter, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud right after equipment paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town constructing.

Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.

GroundUp attended courtroom within the day however the matter 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 court in January.

The prison prices stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape City.

The building was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-old minstrel tradition was supposedly working.

The premises also housed various enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medications significant flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran through the premises have been a hat manufacturing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested various instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft in the eighties.

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

Though Stemmet is still to be presented by using a demand sheet, possible costs, incorporate fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been attached from the Sheriff, and interfering using a City of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.

A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of much more than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted on the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - in excess of R54.three-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary several years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly stories.

Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued lottovip as two of numerous administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.

In accordance with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year experiences.

A new entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. Rather, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.

To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared as well as machinery was taken off, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial location, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies as well as a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by 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-site, similar to the outdated a single in Wetton, was effectively away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage on the making indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.

The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced gained Covid funding but finally relented under media and parliamentary stress.

Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is often a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street places of work, was allocated 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 fantastic experiences related to earlier funding received from the CTMCA.

GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given via the CTMCA.

Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous 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, in direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s organization.

GroundUp despatched issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.