“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution soon after products paid for with resources within the Lottery was removed 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 incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court make a difference, is trying to find to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal expenses and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud after tools 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 informed to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the issue was not put on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get better in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal prices and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medication higher flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat producing firm and also a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various times for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft in the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless to get introduced by using a charge sheet, attainable rates, consist of fraud, removal of apparatus that had been attached with the Sheriff, and interfering with a City of Cape Town electric power meter, Based on an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of greater than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic many years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ย้อน หลัง as two of several administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with 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 Companies and Mental Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly reports.
A different entity Using the very same title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC data. In its place, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared as well as machinery was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment 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 organizations and a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum web site, similar to the aged 1 in Wetton, was effectively far from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't obtain it. There was no signage to the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this 12 months soon after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is often a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions on outstanding reviews connected to before funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received because of the CTMCA.
Also under investigation can be a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.