“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution right after machines paid for with money from the Lottery was removed 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 involve fraud, removing of kit that were attached by the Sheriff and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape Town energy meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court make any difference, is searching for to Recuperate above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized costs and harm to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud following gear compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Business Crime Device on sixteen October 2024 and instructed to appear from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the working day even so the make any difference wasn't put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The prison costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is in search of to Recuperate more than R2.five-million in unpaid lease, interest, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed several corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicines superior flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran from the premises had been a hat manufacturing organization plus a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested many instances for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on 30 January 2025.
While Stemmet is still to generally be introduced with a charge sheet, achievable fees, incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that had been hooked up with the Sheriff, and interfering having a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In line with an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allocated on the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - over R54.three-million - paid out inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal decades, As outlined by Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ รางวัล as two of numerous administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing yearly experiences.
A new entity Along with the exact same name was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet now not a director, Based on CIPC records. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared plus the machinery was taken out, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial space, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations and a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum site, much like the outdated just one in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and visitors couldn't access it. There was no signage around the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises earlier this calendar year immediately after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had received Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his family members and his associates involve R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC annual reviews. Stemmet is often a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about outstanding studies connected to earlier funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of this to legal professionals 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 corporation wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be paid out to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.