“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, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution immediately after tools paid out for with money from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony expenses could consist of fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom make any difference, is trying to find to recover in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, lawful prices and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day though the make any difference wasn't placed on the court roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal rates stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized costs and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-aged minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed numerous corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medications substantial flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises had been a hat manufacturing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested many instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is but being introduced having a charge sheet, attainable rates, consist of fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - over R54.3-million - compensated within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, In keeping with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of a number of administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year reports.
A whole new entity with the identical identify was subsequently registered as A non-public business, but with Stemmet not a director, In keeping with CIPC records. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared as well as equipment was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial space, which housed various of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Even so, the meant new museum web page, just like the old a single in Wetton, was perfectly far from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage within the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months soon after he fell ill.
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 R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year reports. Stemmet can be a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Road places of work, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on excellent experiences relevant to before funding obtained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained by the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization during which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be compensated to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.