“Pot” Stemmet faces rates above theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates above theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution after products compensated for with money with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the criminal expenses could involve fraud, removing of apparatus that had been attached by the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape Town electrical energy meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court make any difference, is searching for to Get well over R2.5-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, authorized prices and harm to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-old minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud just after devices paid for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Professional Crime Device on sixteen October 2024 and told to seem inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the working day although the issue wasn't put on the court roll since the investigating officer didn't provide 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's trying to find to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful expenses and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-aged minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medications substantial flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran with the premises had been a hat producing organization in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested various periods for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery while in the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is still being offered using a demand sheet, attainable costs, consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, In keeping with an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Element of greater than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated for the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.3-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money several years, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย วัน นี้ as two of several administrators of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating 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 submitting annual reviews.
A different entity with the identical name was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC data. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with the machinery was eradicated, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial place, which housed several of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the intended new museum web-site, such as the outdated just one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and readers couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.
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 R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about superb reviews connected to earlier funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is 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 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 during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.