“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed by the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution soon after tools paid for with cash through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony costs could include fraud, elimination of apparatus that were attached through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court docket make a difference, is searching for to Get well in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, lawful expenses and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after machines paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and advised to appear while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket around the day though the issue was not placed on the court docket roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison rates stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, lawful fees and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-old minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicine high flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises had been a hat manufacturing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested various times for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is but to generally be presented that has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removal of equipment that were attached through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ltpbet as two of quite a few directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual House Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A whole new entity Along with the exact title was subsequently registered as A non-public organization, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC documents. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s corporations and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with 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 web site, such as the old 1 in Wetton, was well 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 businesses vacated the premises previously this calendar year soon after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had received Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates include R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet is actually a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and style programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about exceptional stories connected to before funding been given by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization in which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be compensated to his wife’s organization.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.