“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution right after tools paid for with funds from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal rates could involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached through the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket matter, is searching for to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, legal expenses and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on sixteen October 2024 and informed to look during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court about the working day but the make a difference was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison prices stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal prices and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a prescription drugs higher flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises were a hat manufacturing business as well as a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is yet being presented which has a charge sheet, doable costs, involve fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape Town electric power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted for the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic decades, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ ล้อ ต เต อ รี่ as two of several administrators of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting once-a-year reports.
A new entity Along with the exact title was subsequently registered as A non-public enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, As outlined by CIPC documents. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Over the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as machinery was removed, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial region, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations as well as a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
However, the supposed new museum web site, similar to the old a single in Wetton, was properly faraway from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't entry it. There was no signage about the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this yr right after he fell unwell.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial 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 once-a-year studies. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding reviews relevant to before funding been given by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers 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 business during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.