“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, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution following equipment paid for with funds in the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the prison prices could include things like fraud, elimination of kit that had been attached via the Sheriff and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter.
The fees stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court docket subject, is trying to get to Recuperate above R2.five-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized costs and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud after equipment compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Device on 16 Oct 2024 and instructed to look from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom around the working day nevertheless the make a difference wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The criminal prices stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to find to Get well over R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was previously the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines superior flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises had been a hat production firm and a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested various occasions for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery inside the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is still being introduced which has a charge sheet, probable fees, incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up with the Sheriff, and interfering using a City of Cape Town electricity meter, In keeping with an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - above R54.3-million - compensated within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic several years, according to Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย หุ้น ช่อง 9 วัน นี้ as two of numerous administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual studies.
A completely new entity Using the identical name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared and also the equipment was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s enterprises as well as 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.
However, the supposed new museum internet site, similar to the outdated one in Wetton, was nicely faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and site visitors could not access it. There was no signage around the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises earlier this calendar year just after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but last but not least relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates include things like R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reviews. Stemmet is actually a former director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on fantastic reviews relevant to before funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.