“Pot” Stemmet faces charges above theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges above theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution following products paid out for with money with the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony fees could incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that were connected through the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket matter, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized charges and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after tools compensated for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the working day although the matter wasn't put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison prices stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is looking for to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, legal prices and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs substantial flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran from the premises have been a hat manufacturing corporation as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested a number of moments for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft in the eighties.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is however to become introduced that has a cost sheet, achievable costs, contain fraud, removing of apparatus that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electric power meter, In line with an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of in excess of R64-million in Lottery cash allocated to the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - above R54.3-million - paid during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary many years, In accordance with Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตา ว จ หวย as two of quite a few administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual stories.
A fresh entity Using the very same title was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet no more a director, Based on CIPC documents. In its place, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
About the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared as well as machinery was eliminated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial region, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations as well as a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
However, 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 obtain it. There was no signage within the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this year after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the one lottery grant which the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual studies. Stemmet is often a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on exceptional experiences connected with previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally suggested which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.