“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution following devices paid for with cash from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
According to a prosecutor the criminal charges could consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were attached via the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom make any difference, is trying to find to Recuperate over R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, authorized costs and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after machines paid out for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and advised to appear from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket about the working day nevertheless the make any difference wasn't placed on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer did not supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The felony expenses stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is seeking to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed a number of corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medicines significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran from the premises had been a hat manufacturing business as well as a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested many instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is however to generally be presented that has a charge sheet, attainable charges, include things like fraud, removing of equipment that had been attached with the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape City energy meter, Based on an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was part of more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - in excess of R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money several years, In line with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of various directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A different entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC information. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared as well as machinery was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
However, the supposed new museum website, such as the previous a single in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage on the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real 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 experienced received Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates consist of R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is actually a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about remarkable reports linked to previously funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation can be a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals acting in the purchase of the 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 firm through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.