“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution immediately after machines compensated for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the legal expenses could contain fraud, removal of apparatus that were connected from the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom matter, is trying to get to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, legal expenditures and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud following tools compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Business Criminal offense Unit on 16 October 2024 and explained to to appear inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day although the matter was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony prices stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is in search of to Get better over R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal prices and damage to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed quite a few organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a prescription drugs large flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises were a hat production firm in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested numerous instances for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery within the nineteen eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is but for being introduced by using a demand sheet, doable expenses, contain fraud, removing of kit that had been connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter, In accordance with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.3-million - paid within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary many years, As outlined by Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued cat888 as two of quite a few administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual experiences.
A whole new entity Using the very same title was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet no more a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. Alternatively, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
About the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises were cleared as well as the machinery was eradicated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial region, which housed several of Stemmet’s businesses in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum web site, such as aged one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and website visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage over the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this 12 months soon after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the one lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who experienced obtained Covid funding but finally relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reports. Stemmet is actually 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 with the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on excellent experiences connected to earlier funding gained from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given through the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is really a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to attorneys acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.