“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution immediately after tools paid out for with money within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the legal expenses could involve fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected with the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape City electric power meter.
The fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court docket matter, is looking for to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-old minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud right after gear paid for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and instructed to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the day but the make any difference was not placed on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The prison expenses stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's in search of to Get better around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed numerous companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicine large flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises were being a hat producing enterprise plus a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested a number of instances for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery from the nineteen eighties.
In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nevertheless to get offered using a charge sheet, possible charges, contain fraud, removal of apparatus that were connected from the Sheriff, and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, In line with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allocated towards the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - compensated while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial yrs, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ออก as two of various directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year reports.
A whole new entity While using the exact same name was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, In keeping with CIPC records. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared as well as the equipment was taken out, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial region, which housed various of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum website, much like the previous a single in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't entry it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this year just after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had gained Covid funding but lastly relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is usually a previous director with the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about superb reviews relevant to before funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba Individually advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.