“Pot” Stemmet faces fees in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution soon after products 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.
As outlined by a prosecutor the criminal rates could include things like fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court make a difference, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal expenses and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier 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 lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to appear within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day though the matter wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The legal charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's in search of to recover around R2.5-million in unpaid hire, interest, authorized expenses and harm to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-old minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed numerous corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicine superior flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran through the premises have been a hat production business and a nightclub. Stemmet has been 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 because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is however to become presented using a cost sheet, attainable expenses, contain fraud, removal of kit that had been attached by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape City electric power meter, In accordance with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of over R64-million in Lottery money allocated for the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - more than R54.3-million - paid in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial years, according to National Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ผล สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล งวด as two of various directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Home Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual stories.
A different entity Together with the identical identify was subsequently registered as A personal company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC data. Rather, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
Around the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared as well as machinery was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial region, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web page, like the aged one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this calendar year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is usually a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on superb studies connected to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is a R1-million payment by 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 former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.