“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses above theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses above theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed from the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution just after equipment compensated for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison charges could contain fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electric power meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom subject, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, legal fees and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-outdated minstrel society was supposedly running.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud just after products paid out for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and told to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court over the day though the issue wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The prison rates stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to find to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenses and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed a number of corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs higher flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises have been a hat producing organization along with a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few occasions for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery from the nineteen eighties.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is but to get presented with a cost sheet, achievable costs, consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering using a Town of Cape City electrical power meter, In line with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of greater than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated to the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal yrs, according to Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ลาว as two of numerous administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the creating 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 submitting annual stories.
A brand new entity Together with the similar identify was subsequently registered as A personal organization, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC records. Rather, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared as well as the equipment was taken off, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial region, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum site, just like the old one in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage to the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this calendar year soon after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates include things like R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is usually a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered on 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 raised questions about remarkable reports connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.