“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution just after products compensated for with funds through the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the felony fees could include things like fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached via the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket subject, is trying to get to Recuperate about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal fees and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after equipment paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and instructed to appear inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day however the make any difference was not placed on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket in January.
The felony charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to get to recover more than R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized prices and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed a number of organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs significant flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran through the premises were a hat manufacturing enterprise and also a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested numerous moments for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed theft in the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is nevertheless being introduced which has a charge sheet, doable prices, include things like fraud, removal of kit that had been attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a Town of Cape Town energy meter, In keeping with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid out during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, As outlined by Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย ย้อน หลัง as two of many directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual stories.
A completely new entity Together with the identical title was subsequently registered as a private corporation, but with Stemmet no longer a director, according to CIPC information. In its place, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as administrators.
Over the night of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared as well as the machinery was eliminated, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial place, which housed various of Stemmet’s corporations plus a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Nonetheless, the intended new museum web-site, like the aged 1 in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not access it. There was no signage within the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this year right after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had gained Covid funding but lastly relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is often a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and style programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions about superb reviews connected to earlier funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received through the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.