“Pot” Stemmet faces rates in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution soon after tools compensated for with resources within the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the legal fees could involve fraud, removing of kit that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom make any difference, is in search of to recover around R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, legal expenditures and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel society was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud after gear paid out for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and instructed to seem while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the working day however the make a difference wasn't placed on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The criminal prices stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to recover in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, lawful costs and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel society was supposedly running.
The premises also housed a number of companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a drugs superior flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran with the premises had been a hat production corporation and a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few times for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery during the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is but for being presented with a cost sheet, probable prices, incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electrical energy meter, according to an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - more than R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal several years, As outlined by Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing สลาก กิน as two of various directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual stories.
A brand new entity While using the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public company, but with Stemmet not a director, In keeping with CIPC records. Alternatively, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
To the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared along with the machinery was removed, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses and also a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum site, such as the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't obtain it. There was no signage to the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this yr following he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions about remarkable reports connected to earlier funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being 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, to the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually advised the grant be compensated to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.