“Pot” Stemmet faces charges in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution immediately after gear compensated for with cash within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the felony fees could include things like fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering using a Town of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom make a difference, is searching for to Get better about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was previously the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following gear paid for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and instructed to seem from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court on the day however the make any difference was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The criminal expenses stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's in search of to Get well more than R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful expenditures and harm to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
The premises also housed numerous companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs substantial flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran in the premises were a hat manufacturing organization in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested several instances for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft in the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is still to get presented which has a cost sheet, possible rates, include things like fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter, As outlined by an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allocated for the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.3-million - compensated while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary decades, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ผล สลาก as two of several administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual reviews.
A different entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Instead, 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 subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared as well as machinery was eradicated, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web site, similar to the outdated just one in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage on the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year immediately after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on excellent studies connected to before funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm through which the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.