“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed because of the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution after devices paid for with money within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony fees could include things like fraud, removal of kit that had been attached by the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court make a difference, is looking for to Recuperate about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, authorized prices and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud following machines paid for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to appear while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the day although the make any difference 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 legal expenses stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to recover over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized costs and harm to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed various companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a prescription drugs higher flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran with the premises were being a hat producing corporation in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested quite a few moments for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is still to become offered that has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removing of equipment that were attached from the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted on the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.three-million - compensated within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic yrs, according to National Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล สลาก as two of numerous administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Mental House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing yearly studies.
A fresh entity With all the exact same identify was subsequently registered as A non-public business, but with Stemmet now not a director, In line with CIPC records. As a substitute, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
About the night of twelve April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Street premises were being cleared as well as the machinery was taken off, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial place, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s businesses along with a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the intended new museum web site, just like the aged one particular in Wetton, was effectively away from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and site visitors couldn't access it. There was no signage to the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this yr immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to establish a museum was not the sole lottery grant the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who experienced gained Covid funding but at last relented less than media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-financial gain entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly experiences. Stemmet is often a former director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Street workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about exceptional studies relevant to before funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired through the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is really a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of the to attorneys performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm during which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually proposed that the grant be paid to his wife’s organization.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.