“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution following tools paid for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal prices could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom subject, is looking for to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, lawful expenditures and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was previously the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the day however the issue was not put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony expenses stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's searching for to recover around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal expenditures and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-old minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
The premises also housed various companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines substantial flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran with the premises ended up a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to become offered which has a charge sheet, attainable rates, consist of fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected with the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City electric power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted on the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - over R54.3-million - compensated while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (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 หวย วัน นี้ as two of many directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A brand new entity Using the exact identify was subsequently registered as A non-public organization, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC data. Instead, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
To the night of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises were being cleared as well as the machinery was eradicated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial spot, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s businesses in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum web-site, just like the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and people couldn't obtain it. There was no signage to the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this yr right after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the one lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced acquired Covid funding but finally relented under media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his family members and his associates include things like R1.four-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is actually a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC lifted questions on remarkable reviews relevant to before funding received because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given from the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company by which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba personally recommended that the grant be compensated to his spouse’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.