“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed from the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after machines paid out for with funds from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal prices could contain fraud, removing of kit that had been connected via the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil courtroom subject, is seeking to recover over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized fees and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-old minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after gear compensated for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court on the working day but the matter wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal rates stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, authorized prices and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medications significant flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises had been a hat manufacturing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested various instances for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft within the nineteen eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nonetheless for being offered using a cost sheet, achievable prices, contain fraud, elimination of equipment that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering using a City of Cape Town electrical power meter, In accordance with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated to the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - around R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical decades, Based on National Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตา ว จ หวย as two of several administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly experiences.
A fresh entity While using the exact same title was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC documents. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with the machinery was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses plus a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web page, like the aged one in Wetton, was well away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months following he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates include R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is usually a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Road 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”. Nevertheless, 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 that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really 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 to be 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 direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually recommended that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.