“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution right after tools paid for with money from your Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
Based on a prosecutor the criminal rates could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached with the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom subject, is seeking to recover more than R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after machines paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business 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 nevertheless the issue was not put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to get to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic location 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-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
The premises also housed various enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs high flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran through the premises have been a hat manufacturing business and a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested various instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft within the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is yet to get introduced with a charge sheet, attainable prices, include fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering with a City of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - around R54.3-million - compensated within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money many years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย รัฐบาล as two of a number of administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year experiences.
A new entity With all the identical name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC data. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared as well as 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 place, 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 supposed new museum website, such as the old one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and people could not obtain it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates consist of 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 former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on superb reports linked to previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being 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 that 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.