“Pot” Stemmet faces prices about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution just after machines paid out for with funds from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal charges could involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court make a difference, is trying to find to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, legal fees and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following devices paid for with Lottery money was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom about the day even so the issue was not placed on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's seeking to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal expenditures and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medication large flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises were a hat producing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various instances for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft within the nineteen eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is nonetheless for being offered which has a charge sheet, achievable prices, include fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted towards the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, Based on 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 wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued lottovip as two of a number of administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity Along with the similar title was subsequently registered as A non-public business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC documents. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as administrators.
About the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared and the machinery was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial place, which housed several of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the supposed new museum website, just like the old one in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not obtain it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises previously this year soon after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to reveal who experienced gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet is actually a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on fantastic reports relevant to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of this to legal professionals acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally proposed the grant be paid out to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.