“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed by 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 out for with money in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal prices could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering using a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court issue, is trying to get to Get better over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful prices and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud following machines compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court on the day though the matter was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The prison rates stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal prices and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed a number of organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines large flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises were a hat producing corporation plus a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to be presented by using a cost sheet, probable charges, consist of fraud, removal of equipment that had been hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City energy meter, In keeping with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of more than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated to your CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - paid out during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic yrs, In accordance with 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 ตรวจ หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of quite a few directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was among the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets 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 personal enterprise, 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.
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 tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial region, which housed many of Stemmet’s enterprises along with a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web-site, similar to the outdated one particular in Wetton, was effectively far from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months following he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but at last relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected 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 an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is really a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding reports connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of 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 like a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba Individually advised the grant be compensated to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.