“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution immediately after machines compensated for with cash with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal rates could include things like fraud, removal of kit that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket matter, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud after products compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day though the matter wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony expenses stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get better in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid lease, desire, authorized prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medication substantial flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises were a hat producing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested many instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is but to generally be presented using a cost sheet, probable costs, contain fraud, elimination of kit that were hooked up from the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape City energy meter, according to an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic decades, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (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 ตัว หวย as two of a number of administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A different entity with the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as directors.
Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial region, which housed various of Stemmet’s enterprises along with a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web-site, similar to the outdated just one in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year soon after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who had obtained Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at this time 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 extra R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies connected to before funding received from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba personally encouraged that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.