“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution following devices paid out for with cash within the Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the felony rates could contain fraud, removal of equipment that were attached through the Sheriff and interfering having a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The charges stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court docket subject, is trying to find to Recuperate around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, legal expenses and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after machines paid out for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and advised to appear in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the working day although the subject was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The legal rates stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized charges and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed various corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicines high flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran within the premises ended up a hat producing business in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested numerous moments for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft while in the eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is however being introduced that has a cost sheet, achievable costs, contain fraud, removal of kit that had been connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape Town electricity meter, In keeping with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of much more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted for the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - about R54.3-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic several years, In keeping with Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued luckyvip77 as two of several administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly reviews.
A new entity Along with the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet now not a director, In line with CIPC data. As a substitute, 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 early morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared and also the equipment was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial spot, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s enterprises plus a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the supposed new museum website, much like the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests couldn't entry it. There was no signage within the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises earlier this 12 months following he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that 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 had gained Covid funding but lastly relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently 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 layout programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on exceptional stories related to earlier funding obtained through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment with 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 former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.