“Pot” Stemmet faces costs more than theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs more than theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution immediately after machines compensated for with resources from your Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the felony fees could include things like fraud, elimination of equipment that had been hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering using a Town of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court docket matter, is seeking to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, legal fees and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud soon after gear paid out for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen October 2024 and advised to seem during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the subject wasn't put on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The legal fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized charges and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating 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 lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medicine high flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran within the premises ended up a hat producing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested a number of moments for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery from the eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is nonetheless to get presented which has a cost sheet, feasible rates, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electric power meter, In accordance with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of much more than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated towards the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - above R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical several years, As outlined by 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 ongoing หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of various directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly stories.
A brand new entity With all the similar identify was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, Based on CIPC information. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared along with the machinery was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s firms in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web-site, similar to the old one particular in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't obtain it. There was no signage around the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this 12 months right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the one lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had received Covid funding but eventually relented below media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates include things like R1.four-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reviews. Stemmet can be a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, 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 seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions on excellent experiences linked to previously funding received because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation can be a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.