“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about 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: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution soon after machines compensated for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal charges could involve fraud, elimination of kit that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electric power meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket make a difference, is trying to get to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-aged minstrel society was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud right after gear compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and instructed to look while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court about the working day though the issue was not put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison charges stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is trying to find to Recuperate above R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a drugs substantial flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat producing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested quite a few occasions for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is yet being presented that has a charge sheet, doable charges, include things like fraud, removal of equipment that had been connected via the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Portion of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - more than R54.three-million - paid within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary years, according to Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล as two of numerous directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year reviews.
A different entity While using the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. Rather, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Around the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared and the equipment was taken out, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s firms along with a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum web page, such as the old one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors couldn't access it. There was no signage over the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this year right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the one lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but eventually relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates include R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC annual reviews. Stemmet can be a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered in the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. However, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC lifted questions about remarkable reviews related to earlier funding gained from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received because of the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to attorneys acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid to his spouse’s corporation.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.