“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution soon after tools compensated for with funds with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
Based on a prosecutor the legal prices could consist of fraud, removing of kit that had been attached by the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court docket subject, is seeking to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, authorized costs and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was previously the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after machines paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look within the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day nevertheless the matter was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The criminal expenses stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to find to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful prices and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine high flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran through the premises were a hat producing corporation as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested a number of instances for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery within the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is however to be introduced by using a cost sheet, achievable rates, include fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected with the Sheriff, and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape Town energy meter, In line with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make any difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated towards the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - in excess of R54.3-million - paid within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary many years, In line with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย as two of many directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Home Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual studies.
A fresh entity with the similar identify was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC information. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared plus the machinery was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial spot, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s enterprises and also a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum website, similar to the outdated a person in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage over the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the one lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his family and his associates incorporate 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 usually 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 at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about superb reviews connected to before funding acquired because of 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 from 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 previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.