“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, left, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide 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 right after tools paid for with cash through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison fees could contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court issue, is trying to get to Get better over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and told to look within the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket about the day even so the issue wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The prison costs stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is in search of to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, legal fees and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed various enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicines significant flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises ended up a hat producing business as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested several occasions for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery inside the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is still being presented with a cost sheet, feasible rates, include things like fraud, elimination of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, In accordance with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Component of more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - more than R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal a long time, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of quite a few directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company 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 studies.
A completely new entity Using the identical name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared and also the equipment was removed, In keeping with 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 plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web-site, such as outdated just one in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers could not access it. There was no signage around the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises 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 been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions about fantastic experiences associated with previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company in which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase on the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advised which the grant be compensated to his wife’s organization.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.