“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution soon after tools 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.
As outlined by a prosecutor the criminal rates could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court issue, is seeking to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful prices and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the day but the matter wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized costs and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-aged minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed a number of organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines substantial flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises had been a hat manufacturing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested various moments for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is yet to get introduced with a charge sheet, achievable prices, include fraud, removal of kit that were hooked up via the Sheriff, and interfering with a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of greater than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated into the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - around R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money many years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย as two of a number of administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity Along with the exact title was subsequently registered as A non-public organization, but with Stemmet not a director, Based on CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
To the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared as well as machinery was taken off, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial spot, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the supposed new museum website, just like the old a person in Wetton, was perfectly faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not entry it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but at last relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet is actually a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about remarkable reports linked to before funding obtained through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid out R500,000 of this to attorneys acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.