“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution immediately after machines compensated for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony fees could incorporate fraud, elimination of kit that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electricity meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court make a difference, is looking for to Get well over R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized costs and damage to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud following machines paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Crime Device on sixteen October 2024 and instructed to seem within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day but the matter wasn't put on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison costs stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's seeking to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed a number of businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a prescription drugs substantial flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran from the premises were a hat producing enterprise and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft from the 1980s.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to become offered which has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removal of kit that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City energy meter, according to an email 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 - about R54.3-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money many years, In keeping with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย รัฐบาล as two of a number of administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A brand new entity Together with the similar identify was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. As a substitute, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
Around the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared and the equipment was eliminated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial spot, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s businesses plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web page, just like the old 1 in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors could not accessibility it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this yr right after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had acquired Covid funding but lastly relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-earnings entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates involve R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is often a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions about superb reviews relevant to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba personally suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.