“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution soon after products paid for with resources within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the legal rates could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court issue, is trying to get to Get better over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the issue was not put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The felony fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal expenditures and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-aged minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed a number of organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medication large flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises were a hat producing corporation and also a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested many occasions for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery in the eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is still to become offered that has a demand sheet, possible expenses, include things like fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected with the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, In accordance with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of much more than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated on the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.3-million - paid in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary several years, In keeping with Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ย้อน หลัง as two of many directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the businesses and Mental House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting once-a-year reviews.
A new entity While using the identical title was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet no more a director, according to CIPC records. Instead, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Over the night of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared as well as 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 location, which housed several of Stemmet’s enterprises and also a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum internet site, like the previous just one in Wetton, was well away from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't access it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this calendar year just after he fell sick.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is often a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about outstanding experiences connected with before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally suggested which the grant be paid to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.