“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution immediately after machines paid for with cash in the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In line with a prosecutor the legal fees could incorporate fraud, elimination of kit that were attached via the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court subject, is in search of to Recuperate around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, fascination, authorized expenses and harm to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after devices paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on 16 October 2024 and explained to to appear from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day nevertheless the subject wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The felony costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's in search of to Get better over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, legal fees and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many firms owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine significant flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran through the premises have been a hat producing enterprise and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested several situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft in the nineteen eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is however for being presented having a demand sheet, feasible charges, involve fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter, Based on an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was part of over R64-million in Lottery cash allocated on the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal several years, In accordance with National 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 ผล หวย หุ้น as two of various directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was one among the directors. The business was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly reviews.
A completely new entity Together with the same title was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, according to CIPC records. Rather, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared along with the machinery was eradicated, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed many of Stemmet’s organizations and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web-site, like the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and website visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage about the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this year just after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced obtained Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-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 is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about superb reviews relevant to before funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally recommended that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet through SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.