“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution after gear paid for with resources in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony expenses could include fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court subject, is searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, 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 City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud following equipment paid out for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on sixteen October 2024 and told to look in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the working day although the make a difference wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The legal fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is seeking to Get well over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-old minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed various companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medication significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran from your premises have been a hat production corporation and a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft during the eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is nevertheless to get presented that has a charge sheet, probable expenses, include fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City electricity meter, In accordance with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted for the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - around R54.3-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical several years, Based on Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย ลาว as two of several administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual studies.
A different entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC information. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared and also the equipment was eliminated, 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 various of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum web-site, such as outdated one in Wetton, was well away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't obtain it. There was no signage about the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this calendar year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but at last relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates consist of R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly reports. Stemmet is a previous director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and structure 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 the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with 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 where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advised the grant be compensated to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.