“Pot” Stemmet faces fees over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees over theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution after products compensated for with resources through the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal prices could consist of fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter.
The fees stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil courtroom issue, is trying to find to recover around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after gear compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and informed to seem from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court over the day however the matter was not put on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The felony costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized fees and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed several companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicine substantial flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises were being a hat production enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested various times for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery inside the 1980s.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is still being introduced using a charge sheet, possible charges, involve fraud, removal of kit that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering with a Town of Cape City electrical power meter, In accordance with an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make a difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted into the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - about R54.three-million - paid inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary a long time, In line with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ผล หวย หุ้น as two of numerous directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly reviews.
A different entity Using the similar identify was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet no more a director, In keeping with CIPC records. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared plus the machinery was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations as well as a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the intended new museum web-site, just like the old one particular in Wetton, was perfectly away from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and visitors couldn't obtain it. There was no signage to the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this 12 months immediately after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the one lottery grant that the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had been given Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates include things like R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual reviews. Stemmet is actually a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on excellent stories related to earlier funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated 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 for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally recommended that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.