“Pot” Stemmet faces charges above theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges above theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution just after products paid out for with resources from your Lottery was removed from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony prices could consist of fraud, removing of equipment that were connected through the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court docket make a difference, is seeking to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, lawful costs and damage to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud after machines compensated for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket around the working day nevertheless the make any difference was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The legal prices stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized expenses and damage to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was previously the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed many organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medicine large flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran with the premises were a hat production corporation as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested a number of periods for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft in the eighties.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is but for being presented that has a cost sheet, feasible rates, include things like fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected through the Sheriff, and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter, according to an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allotted for the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical decades, In line with Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ย้อน หลัง as two of several administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual stories.
A fresh entity With all the exact name was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, In line with CIPC records. As a substitute, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
About the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Street premises were being cleared along with the machinery was taken off, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial region, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s firms plus a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at The brand new premises.
Even so, the meant new museum web site, such as previous a person in Wetton, was effectively clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage within the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months following he fell ill.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but finally relented less than media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates incorporate R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC yearly stories. Stemmet can be a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered in the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on fantastic reports relevant to earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to attorneys acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business where the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba Individually suggested which the grant be paid out to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by means of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.