“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed from the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution right after tools paid for with resources with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison fees could contain fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected via the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket make any difference, is looking for to Recuperate more than R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful expenditures and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly working.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud right after gear compensated for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on sixteen October 2024 and instructed to appear from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom around the day though the matter wasn't put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The criminal charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is looking for to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, legal prices and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed various firms owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicines superior flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran in the premises have been a hat production corporation and also a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few occasions for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nonetheless to get presented using a demand sheet, doable costs, include things like fraud, removal of equipment that had been connected via the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town electrical power meter, As outlined by an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of more than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated towards the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic years, In line with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ออก as two of many administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing yearly stories.
A completely new entity with the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
On the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared and also the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s corporations and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum internet site, much like the previous a single in Wetton, was nicely away from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and visitors couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage over the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates involve R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is often a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding reviews connected with before funding been given by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase 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 business by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.