“Pot” Stemmet faces rates above theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates above theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution just after devices paid for with resources from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the prison prices could incorporate fraud, removing of kit that were attached with the Sheriff and interfering which has a Town of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court docket matter, is trying to get to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal expenses and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after devices paid for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and advised to seem while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the day nevertheless the matter wasn't put on the court roll as the investigating officer did not supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The felony charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is looking for to Recuperate around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed quite a few enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medication superior flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises ended up a hat producing organization plus a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested various situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft during the nineteen eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is however to become introduced which has a demand sheet, probable costs, involve fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, In keeping with an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of greater than R64-million in Lottery money allocated for the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - more than R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial many years, Based on National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing fox888 as two of various directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was one among the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A new entity With all the similar title was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Within the night of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared as well as machinery was removed, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial spot, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s businesses plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum site, like the aged one in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests could not obtain it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this year just after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had acquired Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is usually a former director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra 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 superb reviews connected with previously funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.