“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after equipment compensated for with money from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison fees could incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket issue, is looking for to Get well in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized costs and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following machines paid out for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to seem in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket around the day though the make a difference wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The legal prices stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medications superior flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran from the premises were a hat producing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to be presented that has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City electricity meter, Based on an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of more than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - over R54.3-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial several years, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ผล สลาก as two of quite a few directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A different entity While using the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. As an alternative, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared and the machinery was eradicated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial space, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s corporations and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum web-site, similar to the outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and site visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses 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 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 eventually relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, 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 spouse, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on superb reviews connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be paid out to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.