“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution immediately after tools paid out for with resources through the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the legal expenses could include things like fraud, elimination of kit that were connected with the Sheriff and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape City electric power meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket issue, is seeking to Recuperate in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, legal fees and harm to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud soon after gear compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day but the make a difference wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The prison prices stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to get to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal charges and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed various corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs significant flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises have been a hat production corporation along with a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested many situations for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft during the eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is nevertheless being introduced with a cost sheet, attainable costs, consist of fraud, removal of apparatus that had been attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape Town electricity meter, In keeping with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Element of over R64-million in Lottery cash allocated into the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - around R54.three-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal yrs, Based on National Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย วัน นี้ as two of a number of administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting once-a-year studies.
A fresh entity Using the exact name was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, As outlined by CIPC data. In its place, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared plus the machinery was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial place, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses and also a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
However, the supposed new museum internet site, just like the old one particular in Wetton, was well far from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage over the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this year following he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the one lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had been given Covid funding but last but not least relented under media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates involve R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is actually a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions about superb reviews connected to before funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a 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 during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.