“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution soon after equipment paid for with money within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the legal fees could involve fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been attached with the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom make a difference, is looking for to Recuperate around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, legal charges and harm to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-aged minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud following equipment compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to seem in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the working day although the make a difference was not put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The criminal charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's in search of to recover over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was previously the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed various companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medication substantial flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises ended up a hat manufacturing business plus a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery in the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
While Stemmet is but for being introduced using a demand sheet, feasible fees, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape Town energy meter, In accordance with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Component of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated towards the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - about R54.3-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal a long time, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตัว หวย as two of various directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reviews.
A whole new entity While using the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Rather, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared plus the machinery was eradicated, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial place, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s firms along with a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web-site, like the aged a person in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this year after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is often a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC raised questions about outstanding studies related to earlier funding obtained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting 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 in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition of 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 questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.