“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution following devices paid for with funds from the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the felony charges could contain fraud, removal of apparatus that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City energy meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil courtroom make a difference, is looking for to Get well more than R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, legal fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud after products paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and explained to to look inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket to the day however the subject wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer did not supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The legal rates stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get better in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, legal fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed many corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medications high flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran from the premises were a hat manufacturing firm and a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested quite a few situations for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery within the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is however being presented that has a charge sheet, probable fees, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected with the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City energy meter, In accordance with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was A part of over R64-million in Lottery money allocated into the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical yrs, In accordance with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ผล สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล งวด as two of various directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A new entity Together with the same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC documents. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
To the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared as well as machinery was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools 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 plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum web site, similar to the aged a person in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests could not access it. There was no signage on the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this yr after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the one lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but ultimately relented less than media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates include things like R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is usually a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions about outstanding studies related to previously funding been given through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received through the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is really a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to attorneys acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition of the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba personally encouraged that the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.