“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses above theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses above theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed because of the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution right after tools paid out for with cash with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the legal expenses could consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court make any difference, is trying to get to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the day even so the subject wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The prison fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed several companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines substantial flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran through the premises have been a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested a number of occasions for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery within the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to be presented that has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached from the Sheriff, and interfering using a City of Cape Town electricity meter, In accordance with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of more than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย รัฐบาล as two of a number of directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reports.
A fresh entity Together with the similar title was subsequently registered as A non-public organization, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with the equipment was taken out, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the supposed new museum website, such as the old one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers could not access it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally 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 R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reports. Stemmet is usually a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and style programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about exceptional stories connected to before funding been given by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization in which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.