“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution just after gear compensated for with funds with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony expenses could include things like fraud, elimination of kit that had been attached through the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electric power meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom matter, is seeking to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful costs and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud following equipment paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and explained to to look from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the day although the make a difference wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The felony charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal charges and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medication substantial flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were a hat producing company along with a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested many instances for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed theft in the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is but to get presented which has a cost sheet, attainable rates, involve fraud, elimination of apparatus that were attached from the Sheriff, and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter, In line with an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Element of over R64-million in Lottery money allocated into the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money decades, according to Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing hihuay as two of quite a few administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reviews.
A completely new entity Together with the same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet no more a director, according to CIPC information. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises were cleared as well as the machinery was eliminated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial space, which housed many of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum site, such as the aged one in Wetton, was properly clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises before this year just after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but last but not least relented under media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year reports. Stemmet is actually a former director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions about remarkable reports connected with previously funding been given by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently 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 a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company in which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.