“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution just after tools compensated for with resources with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison rates could consist of fraud, removal of kit that were connected from the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter.
The fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom make a difference, is seeking to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized prices and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud after tools paid out for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to look from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket within the working day even so the issue wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The criminal expenses stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's in search of to Get better above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, lawful fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed a number of firms owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine substantial flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran with the premises had been a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested quite a few instances for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft in the 1980s.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is nonetheless to generally be offered by using a charge sheet, possible charges, include fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape City electricity meter, As outlined by an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of greater than R64-million in Lottery money allocated towards the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial many years, In accordance with Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ล่าสุด as two of quite a few directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly reports.
A whole new entity with the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC information. As a substitute, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared and the equipment was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s companies and a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Having said that, the supposed new museum internet site, just like the previous one particular in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this year after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the one lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on excellent studies associated with previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.