“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution soon after products paid out for with money with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal fees could include things like fraud, elimination of equipment that were connected from the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter.
The fees stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court docket matter, is looking for to Get well over R2.5-million in unpaid hire, interest, legal expenditures and harm to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after products paid for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and explained to to seem during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court over the day even so the make any difference was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The prison costs stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran within the premises had been a hat manufacturing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested various situations for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft from the nineteen eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nevertheless for being presented with a demand sheet, attainable expenses, include fraud, removing of equipment that were attached via the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape City electricity meter, As outlined by an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of over R64-million in Lottery money allocated on the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - above R54.three-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money a long time, Based on Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ as two of quite a few directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year experiences.
A different entity While using the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC records. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared and the machinery was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s businesses and also 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 intended new museum web-site, like the old one in Wetton, was nicely far from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and website visitors couldn't access it. There was no signage around the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this year after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had obtained Covid funding but at last relented under media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year reports. Stemmet is really a previous director with the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on excellent stories associated with earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified 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 in turn paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be 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, to the purchase from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.