“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed because of the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution after equipment paid out for with resources from the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the felony charges could consist of fraud, removing of kit that were connected from the Sheriff and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape City electric power meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil courtroom make a difference, is searching for to Get better more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenses and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was previously the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-old minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after tools compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and informed to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the day however the issue was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom in January.
The legal expenses stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid hire, interest, lawful fees and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed numerous corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs high flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises were a hat producing enterprise in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
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.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to be offered which has a charge sheet, attainable prices, involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were hooked up through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City 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 determine the minstrel museum was Portion of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allocated to the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - over R54.three-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, In line with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย ลาว ล่าสุด as two of quite a few administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly reports.
A new entity Along with the exact same title was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet now not a director, In line with CIPC documents. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared along with the machinery was removed, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial location, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s enterprises plus a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.
Nonetheless, the meant new museum website, similar to the aged 1 in Wetton, was effectively faraway from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and website visitors could not access it. There was no signage around the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises previously this year following he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who had gained Covid funding but ultimately relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates involve R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is a previous director with the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on exceptional experiences linked to before funding received because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the acquisition of the 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 corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.