“Pot” Stemmet faces fees over theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees over theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed from the National Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution following gear compensated for with funds from the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
Based on a prosecutor the legal prices could contain fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up by the Sheriff and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil courtroom issue, is trying to find to Recuperate more than R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after products paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and told to seem within the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day though the make a difference wasn't placed on the court roll since the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The felony charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is seeking to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal expenses and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a drugs large flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran in the premises ended up a hat manufacturing organization plus a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested several situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is still to become introduced having a cost sheet, feasible prices, contain fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected via the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter, In accordance with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal a long time, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued luckyvip77 as two of numerous administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity While using the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC information. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared plus the machinery was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s corporations and also a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum website, such as the old 1 in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this 12 months following he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC to begin with refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates consist of R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is usually a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about outstanding studies related to earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a 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 wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually encouraged that the grant be compensated to his spouse’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.