“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution following machines paid out for with cash through the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison charges could contain fraud, elimination of equipment that were hooked up via the Sheriff and interfering having a City of Cape City electric power meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom make a difference, is looking for to Get better around R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-old minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after products paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and explained to to seem in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket about the day but the make any difference was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The criminal costs stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is searching for to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal fees and harm to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed many companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medications high flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat manufacturing enterprise plus a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed robbery inside the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still being offered that has a cost sheet, attainable costs, contain fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up via the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electric power meter, In accordance with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to your CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - above R54.3-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary decades, In keeping with Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล หวย ลาว as two of quite a few directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual reports.
A fresh entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
About the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared as well as machinery was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial place, which housed several of Stemmet’s firms in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum internet site, much like the previous a single in Wetton, was effectively far from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the developing 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 gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who had obtained Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet is actually a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about fantastic experiences associated with earlier funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid 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 wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.