“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed because of the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution right after tools paid for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony expenses could consist of fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket make any difference, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud after devices paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and informed to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day though the matter wasn't put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison prices stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to recover around R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed several companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat manufacturing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested quite a few moments for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nonetheless for being offered which has a charge sheet, attainable rates, consist of fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, In line with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย วัน นี้ as two of numerous administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared plus the machinery was taken out, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial spot, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the supposed new museum web site, such as the old 1 in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't access it. There was no signage on the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is actually a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies relevant to before funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally encouraged that the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.