“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution soon after tools paid out for with cash from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the prison rates could include fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached by the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court matter, is searching for to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, authorized expenses and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after devices paid out for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Crime Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and instructed to appear inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the working day but the make a difference wasn't placed on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The legal prices stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's seeking to Get better more than R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, legal charges and damage to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed many organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a prescription drugs significant flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises were being a hat producing organization and a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested quite a few occasions for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery while in the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is yet being presented by using a demand sheet, achievable rates, contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected because of the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town electrical power meter, In keeping with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was A part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated into the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid out inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial decades, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of several administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, according to CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum internet site, similar to the outdated one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers could not access it. There was no signage over the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates include R1.4-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is actually a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on fantastic reports relevant to before funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business during which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.