“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution just after equipment compensated for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal prices could incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom subject, is seeking to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful costs and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud after products compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court on the working day but 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 look in courtroom in January.
The legal charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Recuperate over R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few businesses owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs high flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat producing firm plus a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested numerous times for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to become offered that has a demand sheet, possible costs, include things like fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been connected with the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, In line with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of more than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated into the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - around R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money many years, In keeping with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ สลาก as two of various directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing yearly stories.
A completely new entity Using the exact same name was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC information. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared along with the equipment was taken out, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed various of Stemmet’s businesses as well as a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.
However, the meant new museum web page, such as aged just one in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and site visitors could not entry it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this calendar year right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is actually a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered for the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on superb reports connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase on the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually recommended that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.