“Pot” Stemmet faces fees over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees over theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after equipment paid out for with resources within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the criminal expenses could include fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been attached by the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape Town electrical energy meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court make a difference, is searching for to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, authorized charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after tools paid for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and instructed to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket to the day even so the issue 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 court in January.
The criminal fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to get to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, lawful costs and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed numerous companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs high flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran within the premises were a hat manufacturing enterprise along with a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested several moments for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless for being introduced using a demand sheet, probable prices, contain fraud, removing of equipment that were attached by the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter, Based on an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Element of more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid out from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal several years, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of various directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly experiences.
A fresh entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. As an alternative, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared along with the machinery was removed, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial place, which housed various of Stemmet’s firms along with a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
However, the supposed new museum web site, such as aged 1 in Wetton, was properly faraway from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and guests could not obtain it. There was no signage around the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this year following he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but at last relented beneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his family and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reviews. Stemmet is actually a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered on the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. However, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on exceptional reports relevant to before funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of a 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, a corporation wherein the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba Individually advisable that the grant be paid to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.