“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution following products paid for with money with the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the prison rates could include fraud, removing of apparatus that had been connected with the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape City energy meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom issue, is searching for to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal expenditures and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after products compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the working day but the make a difference 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 courtroom in January.
The legal costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal charges and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed several companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicine higher flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran in the premises have been a hat producing corporation and a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various periods for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
While Stemmet is but to become presented by using a demand sheet, achievable costs, involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape Town energy meter, In line with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - about R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ as two of various directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year experiences.
A new entity Using the identical name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared as well as the equipment was taken out, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed many of Stemmet’s organizations in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum website, like the aged one particular in Wetton, was nicely clear of any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not entry it. There was no signage around the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the one lottery grant the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but eventually relented underneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his family members and his associates consist of R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual studies. Stemmet is really a previous director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions about exceptional studies relevant to previously funding acquired with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given because of the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is actually a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm by which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition of the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo following Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be compensated to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.