“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses above theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses above theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution just after devices paid out for with money in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony costs could include fraud, elimination of kit that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil courtroom subject, is seeking to recover more than R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was previously the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Industrial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the day even so the subject was not put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The felony expenses stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a drugs high flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested several situations for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery from the 1980s.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to generally be presented using a cost sheet, probable charges, contain fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, Based on an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial several years, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of numerous administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity While using the exact identify was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC records. Rather, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
On the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial region, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses as well as a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum website, just like the old one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not obtain it. There was no signage to the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain 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 reveal who had acquired Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his household 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, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about fantastic experiences associated with earlier funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this 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 extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase on the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.