“Pot” Stemmet faces costs above theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs above theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed by the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution right after tools paid for with money through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal charges could include fraud, removing of apparatus that were attached via the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom make any difference, is in search of to recover in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized prices and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was previously the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud following equipment paid out for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City constructing.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to appear from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket within the day although the make any difference wasn't put on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to find to Get better around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized expenses and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of firms owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medication large flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises had been a hat manufacturing firm in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested various situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is still being introduced having a charge sheet, doable rates, consist of fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape City electrical power meter, In line with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of much more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - above R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money yrs, In keeping with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing luckyvip77 as two of numerous administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly experiences.
A whole new entity Using the very same title was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, according to CIPC records. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
To the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared along with the equipment was taken out, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations along with a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum site, much like the outdated a person in Wetton, was nicely far from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and website visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage to the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this year just after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had acquired 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 include R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that is registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about superb studies connected to earlier funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition 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 by which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.