“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution just after machines paid out for with funds in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal charges could include things like fraud, removal of equipment that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court make a difference, is trying to find to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal expenses and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to appear within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the day although the matter wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal rates stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal 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 Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-old minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicine significant flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises had been a hat manufacturing enterprise and also a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery in the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nonetheless for being offered which has a demand sheet, feasible expenses, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were connected with the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape City electrical power meter, As outlined by 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 Element of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allotted for the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, 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 wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ออก as two of many directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity Along with the similar title was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In keeping with CIPC data. As a substitute, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s corporations and a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web site, such as the old one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this 12 months following he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA received. 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 experienced received Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates include R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet is really a previous director of your 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 Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions about remarkable reports linked to before funding received from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization through which 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 Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.