“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution following devices compensated for with cash within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the prison prices could involve fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom make a difference, is searching for to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, lawful costs and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel society was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud soon after devices paid out for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and informed to appear in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day though the issue wasn't put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The prison fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is looking for to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises ended up a hat producing corporation in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous instances for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft during the eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is nevertheless for being introduced using a demand sheet, achievable rates, contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town electrical power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted for the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - over R54.three-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, In keeping with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตา ว จ หวย as two of numerous administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year experiences.
A new entity With all the identical name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC records. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared as well as the equipment was taken off, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial region, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum web-site, like the old a single in Wetton, was very well away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and visitors could not accessibility it. There was no signage over the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this yr right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had been given Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is usually a previous director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered within the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on fantastic reports relevant to before funding obtained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired via the CTMCA.
Also below investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently compensated R500,000 of this to attorneys acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally proposed the grant be compensated to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.