“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed by the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution immediately after equipment paid for with resources within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal prices could contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected via the Sheriff and interfering using a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket make any difference, is looking for to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful prices and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court on the working day but the matter wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal rates stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal prices and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few businesses owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs higher flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran within the premises ended up a hat production organization along with a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft while in the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
While Stemmet is however to get introduced with a charge sheet, attainable prices, include fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up via the Sheriff, and interfering with a Town of Cape City electric power meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of much more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted on the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - in excess of R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, Based on Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย หุ้น ช่อง 9 as two of many directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual reviews.
A whole new entity Along with the similar title was subsequently registered as A non-public organization, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC documents. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
About the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared as well as machinery was taken off, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum site, like the aged one particular in Wetton, was properly far from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage on the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates consist of R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is usually 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 on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and style programme”. However, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about excellent studies related to before funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be 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, to the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.