“Pot” Stemmet faces charges over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges over theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution following gear compensated for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison prices could involve fraud, elimination of kit that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court docket subject, is in search of to Get better more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal fees and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud following devices paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to appear within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court on the working day however the make a difference wasn't put on the courtroom 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 legal charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Recuperate around R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful expenses and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where 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 called a drugs higher flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises were a hat producing firm plus a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested numerous times for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to be presented by using a cost sheet, probable costs, contain fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been attached through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, In accordance with an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial several years, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued เช ค หวย as two of several directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was among the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year experiences.
A new entity With all the identical name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC data. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with 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 many 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 devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum internet site, much like the previous 1 in Wetton, was nicely clear of any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and readers could not obtain 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 R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates include R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on outstanding reviews connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation can be a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently compensated 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 a conduit for an additional 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 Event in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually proposed that the grant be paid out to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.