“Pot” Stemmet faces charges above theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges above theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after equipment compensated for with cash with the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony charges could consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape Town electricity meter.
The fees stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court issue, is looking for to Recuperate in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful fees and harm to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud after devices paid out for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and informed to look within the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court about the working day even so the make a difference was not put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The prison costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to get to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized charges and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines high flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran with the premises were a hat production organization in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested many situations for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on thirty January 2025.
While Stemmet is still for being introduced using a demand sheet, attainable fees, consist of fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected from the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape City electric power meter, As outlined by an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allocated on the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - around R54.3-million - paid inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, In line with Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ผล หวย as two of numerous directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year studies.
A new entity Along with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet now not a director, according to CIPC information. As an alternative, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Within the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises were being cleared as well as equipment was taken off, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial space, which housed various of Stemmet’s firms as well as a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at the new premises.
Having said that, the supposed new museum internet site, such as aged 1 in Wetton, was properly faraway from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and website visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage over the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this 12 months immediately after he fell sick.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but lastly relented underneath media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered within the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about outstanding reviews relevant to earlier funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase on the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.