“Pot” Stemmet faces charges above theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges above theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution just after devices paid for with money with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal fees could include fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up via the Sheriff and interfering having a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil courtroom issue, is trying to get to Recuperate above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful fees and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-aged minstrel society was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after equipment compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and instructed to appear during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket around the day however the issue wasn't put on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The legal prices stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized prices and harm to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed several corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medication substantial flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat producing company and a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested a number of occasions for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is yet being introduced having a cost sheet, achievable rates, contain fraud, removing of kit that had been attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering with a City of Cape Town electric power meter, Based on an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allocated into the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary years, In keeping with Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล as two of several administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual studies.
A completely new entity With all the similar identify was subsequently registered as A personal company, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC documents. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Over the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared as well as the equipment was taken out, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum web-site, such as aged 1 in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage within the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this year following he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had acquired Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his relatives and his associates contain R1.4-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly studies. Stemmet can be a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC lifted questions on exceptional experiences associated with previously funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out 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 as being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.