“Pot” Stemmet faces prices in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
Blog Article
Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution right after products paid out for with money with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison prices could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected through the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil courtroom matter, is seeking to Recuperate around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized fees and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was previously the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after gear compensated for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and explained to to seem while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day however the subject wasn't placed on the court roll since the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The prison rates stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal prices and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed quite a few firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medicines substantial flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran with the premises were being a hat manufacturing company along with a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested a number of 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 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is but to generally be presented by using a demand sheet, possible expenses, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up from the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical power meter, As outlined by an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Element of much more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted to your CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.3-million - paid out during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal many years, In keeping with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หุ้น ชอง 9 as two of numerous administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A fresh entity Along with the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with the equipment was taken out, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial space, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s enterprises plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at the new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum internet site, similar to the outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage to the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about exceptional experiences linked to previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given via 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 the to lawyers acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization in which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.