“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses above theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses above theft of Lottery-funded equipment
Blog Article
Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed because of the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution following equipment compensated for with cash with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the legal charges could involve fraud, removal of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape Town electric power meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court docket make a difference, is trying to get to recover above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal costs and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud soon after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and advised to look during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day nevertheless the subject was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The prison charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful prices and harm to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-old minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed many businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a drugs large flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat production firm and also a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery in the nineteen eighties.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is yet to get introduced having a cost sheet, doable costs, incorporate fraud, removing of kit that had been attached from the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape City electric power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of greater than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.3-million - compensated inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary decades, As outlined by National Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย ล่าสุด as two of several directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A different entity While using the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. As an alternative, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared and the machinery was eradicated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial space, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s corporations 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.
Having said that, the meant new museum web-site, similar to the outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and site visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage within the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this calendar year soon after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates consist of R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about fantastic experiences associated with previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm through which the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.