“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 by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution after devices paid for with money within the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the criminal expenses could include things like fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape City electric power meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court docket matter, is seeking to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, lawful costs and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud right after tools compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and told to seem during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the working day nevertheless the issue was not put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The felony expenses stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's in search of to Get better about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, legal prices and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was previously the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed quite a few organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs large flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises have been a hat production enterprise along with a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few moments for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery from the nineteen eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless to get presented having a cost sheet, possible expenses, involve fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up through 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 dealing with the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated towards the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - around R54.3-million - paid during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money yrs, In line with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ออก as two of quite a few directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing yearly studies.
A different entity Using the very same title was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, In accordance with CIPC information. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Around the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared as well as the machinery was eradicated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial spot, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies along with a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum web page, such as the previous just one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and website visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but finally relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates contain R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is usually a previous director with the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is 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 just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on exceptional stories associated with previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received through the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is actually a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.