“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution following gear compensated for with cash with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony expenses could consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom make any difference, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day although the make any difference wasn't placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to recover over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal expenditures and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed numerous corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs higher flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat producing company in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
While Stemmet is however being introduced using a cost sheet, probable costs, incorporate fraud, elimination of kit that were connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering with a Town of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Element of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allotted on the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - around R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, according to National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing สลาก กิน รัฐบาล as two of many directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A different entity with the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. Rather, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared and also the equipment was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial region, which housed several of Stemmet’s enterprises in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum site, much like the outdated just one in Wetton, was effectively far from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and people couldn't obtain it. There was no signage over the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this 12 months right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced obtained Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates include R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is often a previous director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on excellent experiences linked to before funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also under investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba personally proposed which the grant be compensated to his wife’s business.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.