“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution immediately after gear paid out for with resources from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the legal fees could consist of fraud, removal of kit that had been attached through the Sheriff and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter.
The charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court docket make any difference, is looking for to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful fees and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-outdated minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after machines compensated for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and told to look inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket about the day however the make any difference was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The felony costs stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is looking for to recover over R2.five-million in unpaid lease, interest, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed several firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medications superior flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat producing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few occasions for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed theft while in the eighties.
In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is nonetheless being offered which has a charge sheet, probable expenses, include things like fraud, removal of kit that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electric power meter, In line with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the issue.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted to the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, In accordance with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ไทยรัฐ as two of numerous directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly reviews.
A completely new entity Along with the same name was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as administrators.
To the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared and the equipment was taken out, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial place, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
On the other hand, the supposed new museum internet site, like the old one particular in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage about the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this calendar year just after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but lastly relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is usually a previous director of the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at this time 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 the “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on excellent stories associated with previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually advised the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.