“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution just after tools compensated for with funds in the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the prison charges could contain fraud, removal of kit that had been connected from the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court make any difference, is trying to find to Get better about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenditures and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud soon after tools compensated for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and told to seem inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day although the make a difference was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal prices stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to find to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly running.
The premises also housed numerous businesses owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medications superior flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran within the premises had been a hat manufacturing business as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested many periods for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is however to be introduced using a demand sheet, achievable expenses, include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were connected with the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town energy meter, In accordance with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - about R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical yrs, In line with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หุ้น ชอง 9 as two of numerous administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity Along with the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared and also the equipment was removed, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s corporations along with a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum internet site, similar to the outdated just one in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not obtain it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year just after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates contain 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 with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies connected to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.