“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution soon after devices paid out for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison fees could incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached with the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape City electric power meter.
The fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court docket issue, is seeking to Get well above R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, authorized charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after devices paid out for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Commercial Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and instructed to appear during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the working day however the make any difference wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The criminal fees stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is trying to get to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful costs and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed many companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medication large flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat producing company and also a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested a number of times for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is yet to generally be offered having a cost sheet, achievable costs, include fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter, In keeping with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated on the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - over R54.three-million - compensated in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic yrs, In keeping with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ลาว ล่าสุด as two of numerous directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one among the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reviews.
A completely new entity Using the very same identify was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet now not a director, In line with CIPC documents. Instead, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared along with the machinery was removed, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial space, which housed many of Stemmet’s organizations in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
However, the supposed new museum internet site, such as the outdated a person in Wetton, was well away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage over the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this 12 months immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates contain R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is often a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about outstanding studies related to earlier funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually encouraged that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.