“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, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution following tools paid out for with money with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal rates could include things like fraud, removal of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electricity meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket matter, is in search of to Get well about R2.5-million in unpaid rent, fascination, authorized charges and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Crime Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the day nevertheless the subject was not placed on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's in search of to Get well over R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal expenses and harm to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was previously the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed several businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a prescription drugs significant flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran with the premises had been a hat production company and a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested several occasions for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft in the nineteen eighties.
In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is yet being introduced using a cost sheet, probable charges, incorporate fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been connected with the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allotted to your CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - more than R54.three-million - paid during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal many years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล หวย หุ้น as two of numerous administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A completely new entity Using the identical title was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC information. As an alternative, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared and also the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s companies along with a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum web-site, similar to the outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly far from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and site visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage around 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 ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but at last relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates involve R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is usually a previous director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding stories related to earlier funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.