“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution after products compensated for with cash within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the prison rates could include fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached by the Sheriff and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape Town electric power meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket make any difference, is trying to get to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, lawful fees and harm to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after tools paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Commercial Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and explained to to seem within the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day even so the matter wasn't put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to find to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful prices and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medication superior flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises have been a hat producing organization and a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested numerous periods for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed robbery during the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is however to become presented using a demand sheet, achievable charges, include things like fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up with the Sheriff, and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter, Based on an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted to your CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - around R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money years, In accordance with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล หวย as two of various directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Home Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reviews.
A whole new entity with the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC information. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared along with the machinery was removed, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum web page, just like the previous just one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests could not access it. There was no signage on the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this year just after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates include R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly experiences. Stemmet is a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC elevated questions on exceptional experiences associated with previously funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given from the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.