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

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution right after tools paid for with cash with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison fees could contain fraud, removing of kit that had been connected via the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court make a difference, is trying to find to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, legal expenses and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud right after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town developing.

Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and advised to look from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.

GroundUp attended court docket around the day but the issue wasn't placed on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer did not supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.

The prison expenses stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's searching for to recover more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.

The developing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly running.

The premises also housed several businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medications significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous times for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery in the eighties.

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

Though Stemmet is nonetheless for being offered which has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up via the Sheriff, and interfering with a Town of Cape City electric power meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the subject.

A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of much more than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted to your CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - paid out during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic decades, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reviews.

Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ltpbet as two of several directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.

As outlined by Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.

A whole new entity Along with the similar title was subsequently registered as A non-public organization, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC documents. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.

Within the night of 12 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 gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s enterprises along with a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at the new premises.

Even so, the intended new museum web site, such as the previous one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not access it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell ill.

The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. 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 below media and parliamentary strain.

Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reports. Stemmet is a previous director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies relevant to before funding been given via the CTMCA.

GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.

Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid 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 a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization in which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be compensated to his wife’s organization.

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