“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, left, and an investigator appointed from the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution immediately after devices paid for with resources within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the criminal rates could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape City electrical power meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court docket matter, is searching for to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal costs and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after gear compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City making.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and explained to to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom over the day nevertheless the subject wasn't placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket in January.
The criminal charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's searching for to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid rent, fascination, authorized fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
The premises also housed various companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medication substantial flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were a hat producing company along with a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested various moments for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery from the 1980s.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is yet to get introduced having a cost sheet, probable costs, incorporate fraud, removing of kit that were connected with the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, In line with 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 allocated to your CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - around R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money many years, As outlined by Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย วัน นี้ as two of various directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity Together with the very same title was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, according to CIPC documents. As a substitute, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared plus the 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 spot, which housed several of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum web site, such as the old 1 in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't access it. There was no signage on the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who had obtained Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is usually a previous director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and style programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about fantastic stories related to earlier funding obtained through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.