“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
Blog Article
Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after equipment compensated for with money from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony costs could involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The fees stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court make a difference, is trying to find to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom over the day but the make any difference was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The criminal rates stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, desire, lawful fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was previously the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed numerous companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a prescription drugs superior flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises were being a hat producing business and a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested various moments for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is however for being introduced that has a charge sheet, feasible charges, include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached because of the Sheriff, and interfering using a City of Cape Town electrical power meter, In line with an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was part of over R64-million in Lottery money allocated into the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - above R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director from 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 with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Home Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual experiences.
A fresh entity While using the exact same title was subsequently registered as A non-public company, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC documents. Instead, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
About the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared and also the equipment was removed, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial area, 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 gear at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum web site, much like the outdated one in Wetton, was effectively far from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage on the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this year after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the one lottery grant that the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced acquired Covid funding but lastly relented under media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates involve R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year reports. Stemmet is really a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about outstanding studies associated with previously funding been given with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally proposed the grant be compensated to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by way of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.