“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution right after tools paid for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony costs could consist of fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom subject, is seeking to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal fees and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud after devices paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business Criminal offense Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the day however the make any difference was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The legal prices stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to find to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, fascination, authorized prices and damage to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was previously the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed various corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine significant flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat manufacturing corporation and a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested various situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery while in the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is nevertheless to get presented with a cost sheet, doable fees, contain fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, according to an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.three-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money years, In accordance with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล as two of a number of administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly experiences.
A brand new entity While using the very same title was subsequently registered as A personal company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In keeping with CIPC information. As a substitute, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
To the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared along with the machinery was eradicated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial place, which housed various of Stemmet’s corporations as well as a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum web page, like the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and site visitors could not access it. There was no signage within the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises before this yr right after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the one lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had acquired Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-earnings entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates involve R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC annual studies. Stemmet is often a former director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on outstanding stories associated with 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 subsequently compensated R500,000 of this to attorneys acting in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation in which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo just after Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid out to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.