“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 by the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution soon after products paid for with funds from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal rates could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom subject, is seeking to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful prices and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court on the working day but the matter wasn't put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The legal costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to get to Recuperate more than R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medications high flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran in the premises have been a hat production corporation in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested many periods for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft during the nineteen eighties.
In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is however to become introduced by using a demand sheet, doable fees, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that were attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape Town energy meter, As outlined by an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to your CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - about R54.3-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic many years, Based on National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย วัน นี้ as two of a number of directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual stories.
A fresh entity While using the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC information. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared along with the machinery was removed, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s businesses plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum web site, such as old a single in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and readers couldn't obtain it. There was no signage over the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this calendar year immediately after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had acquired Covid funding but finally relented underneath media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is a previous director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that's registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about superb reviews connected to earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also below investigation can be a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.