“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution just after gear paid out for with money with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony fees could incorporate fraud, removal of kit that had been attached via the Sheriff and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court docket make a difference, is trying to get to Recuperate around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal charges and damage to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the working day however the make a difference wasn't put on the court roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The felony charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to recover more than R2.five-million in unpaid lease, interest, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed quite a few corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medication high flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat producing organization and a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested many situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft from the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nevertheless for being presented having a demand sheet, attainable expenses, contain fraud, removal of kit that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electric power meter, As outlined by an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated on the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic several years, according to Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued hihuay as two of several administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly stories.
A new entity Together with the similar title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC data. In its place, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
To the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared along with the equipment was eradicated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial area, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the intended new museum web site, similar to the aged a person in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors could not accessibility it. There was no signage within the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this year after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC to begin with refused to reveal who had received Covid funding but eventually relented under 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 for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is usually a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on superb reviews relevant to before funding obtained with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm through which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be paid out to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.