“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, left, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution just after tools compensated for with money from the Lottery was removed from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
According to a prosecutor the prison rates could contain fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached via the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The charges stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court subject, is seeking to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, legal prices and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud just after products paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Business Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and informed to look during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the working day though the make any difference wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The criminal rates stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to find to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal fees and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed several companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs significant flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran from the premises have been a hat producing organization in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested various times for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed robbery inside the eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is however to become presented that has a cost sheet, possible charges, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been hooked up from the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, Based on an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated towards the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - about R54.3-million - paid in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical decades, according to Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย รัฐบาล as two of various directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly reports.
A different entity Using the very same title was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC information. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Around the night of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises ended up cleared as well as equipment was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum web page, much like the outdated a person in Wetton, was nicely from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests could not obtain it. There was no signage over the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this yr right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates involve R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly experiences. Stemmet is usually a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC elevated questions on outstanding studies related to previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of a 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 through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.