“Pot” Stemmet faces fees more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution right after equipment paid for with resources in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the felony charges could involve fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electrical power meter.
The charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom make a difference, is searching for to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized fees and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud right after tools paid out for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and advised to look from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the working day nevertheless the make any difference wasn't placed on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The felony charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's looking for to Get well in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was previously the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medications large flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises were a hat production corporation and a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery within the 1980s.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is but to become introduced using a demand sheet, probable expenses, involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached via the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter, As outlined by an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated on the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - above R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial several years, In keeping with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย as two of several administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual stories.
A brand new entity While using the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet now not a director, according to CIPC records. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared along with the equipment was eradicated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial spot, which housed several of Stemmet’s firms 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.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum website, such as the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage to the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this year after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who experienced obtained Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted 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 extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is often a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and design programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on superb reviews connected to earlier funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a 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 through which the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally encouraged that the grant be paid to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.