“Pot” Stemmet faces costs over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs over theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution following products compensated for with resources from your Lottery was removed from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
According to a prosecutor the legal fees could include fraud, removal of equipment that had been attached because of the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court make any difference, is looking for to Get better about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal prices and harm to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Earlier the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud after gear paid out for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and explained to to appear during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the day though the matter was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The prison expenses stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is in search of to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, lawful costs and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed numerous firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicines superior flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran in the premises have been a hat production enterprise along with a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested several times for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery within the nineteen eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is but to be introduced which has a charge sheet, possible prices, contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town electrical energy meter, In keeping with an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Element of more than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated towards the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - over R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal many years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล สลาก as two of several administrators of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A different entity with the identical name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Rather, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared as well as machinery was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial area, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.
Nonetheless, the supposed new museum internet site, such as aged one in Wetton, was effectively far 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 corporations vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates include R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is actually a previous director on the 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 a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about superb reviews connected to earlier funding obtained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally advisable that the grant be paid to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.