“Pot” Stemmet faces costs more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution right after devices paid out for with cash from the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the felony expenses could consist of fraud, elimination of apparatus that were hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering having a Town of Cape Town energy meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil courtroom subject, is trying to get to recover in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, authorized prices and damage to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud following devices compensated for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and explained to to look from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the working day though the make any difference was not put on the court roll since the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The felony prices stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Recuperate above R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, legal fees and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed a number of companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicines significant flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran from the premises ended up a hat producing corporation and a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested various times for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery in the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is nonetheless to get presented by using a demand sheet, feasible prices, contain fraud, removing of equipment that were attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering with a City of Cape Town electric power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was A part of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted to your CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - over R54.three-million - paid during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money several years, In line with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล หวย ลาว as two of several administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity Along with the same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC documents. As a substitute, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared along with the machinery was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial space, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses as well as a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum website, much like the outdated one in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests could not access it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this 12 months soon after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but finally relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates involve R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reports. Stemmet is a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on exceptional experiences linked to previously funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as 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, in the direction of the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.