“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution following products compensated for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison prices could incorporate fraud, removing of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket matter, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, 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Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud right after equipment paid out for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the day however the make a difference was not placed on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The legal charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenses and harm to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed quite a few enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a prescription drugs significant flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises have been a hat production corporation along with a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few situations for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed robbery in the nineteen eighties.
In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nonetheless to generally be presented using a demand sheet, doable fees, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been attached via the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape City electrical power meter, according to an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - more than R54.three-million - paid out from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical years, Based on Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ผล หวย หุ้น as two of various administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reviews.
A different entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC data. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as administrators.
To the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared along with the machinery was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial region, which housed several of Stemmet’s corporations along with a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
However, the meant new museum site, just like the previous one particular in Wetton, was perfectly far from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates contain R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and style programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on superb reviews connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing 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 business by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be compensated to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.