“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution after equipment paid out for with money through the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison fees could contain fraud, removing of apparatus that were attached by the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court issue, is seeking to Recuperate around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal charges and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud following devices paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the day nevertheless the subject was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The legal costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medications significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were a hat producing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested various moments for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft while in the nineteen eighties.
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.
Even though Stemmet is still to be offered that has a demand sheet, feasible expenses, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up via the Sheriff, and interfering with a City of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of over 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 decades, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued เช ค หวย as two of several administrators of 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 administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A different entity While using the exact identify was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Over the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Street premises ended up cleared along with the equipment was eradicated, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial spot, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s organizations in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum website, similar to the aged a single in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and site visitors couldn't obtain it. There was no signage around the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this 12 months soon after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had gained Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet can be a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC raised questions on outstanding stories associated with previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase 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, a business where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.