“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed because of the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution following products paid out for with resources in the Lottery was removed from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the felony prices could involve fraud, elimination of kit that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom issue, is trying to find to Get well above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized expenditures and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was previously the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud right after tools paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City making.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to seem while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom around the day but 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 appear in courtroom in January.
The prison expenses stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Recuperate more than R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal expenses and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was previously the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medicines significant flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran in the premises ended up a hat producing business and also a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft inside the 1980s.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless to get introduced having a cost sheet, possible expenses, involve fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached with the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City energy meter, In accordance with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Component of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to your CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic many years, Based on Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ออก as two of various directors of 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 among the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly studies.
A different entity with the identical title was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared and the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed several of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum internet site, such as old 1 in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and website visitors could not access it. There was no signage on the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this yr right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates consist of R1.4-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is often a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about superb reports relevant to before funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous 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 previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp sent concerns to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.