“Pot” Stemmet faces costs above theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs above theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution soon after equipment paid out for with cash within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal charges could consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were attached by the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket make a difference, is trying to get to recover above R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, legal expenditures and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after machines paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape City making.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and explained to to appear from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day even so the make a difference was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The legal fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's in search of to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized fees and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was previously the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed quite a few organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs substantial flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises were a hat production enterprise along with a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested several occasions for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery during the 1980s.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is yet being offered using a demand sheet, probable charges, include fraud, elimination of equipment that were hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a Town of Cape Town electric power meter, In line with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of much more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted towards the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - above R54.three-million - paid inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal decades, according to Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย ล่าสุด as two of quite a few administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Mental House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year reviews.
A new entity Together with the same name was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In line with CIPC documents. Rather, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Around the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises have been cleared plus the machinery was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial space, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s firms as well as a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum web site, such as old one particular in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't obtain it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this year following he fell unwell.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities associated with Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director with the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about outstanding studies associated with previously funding been given with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained from the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase in the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba Individually advisable that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s corporation.
GroundUp sent concerns to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.