“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed because of the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution just after gear compensated for with funds through the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony charges could consist of fraud, removal of equipment that were connected from the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court docket make a difference, is seeking to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful prices and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after gear paid out for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and instructed to look during the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket to the working day even so the subject was not placed on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The felony fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is seeking to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was previously the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-aged minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed a number of organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medication large flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises were a hat producing corporation plus a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested a number of situations for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery during the 1980s.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to generally be presented using a cost sheet, probable charges, contain fraud, elimination of equipment that had been attached from the Sheriff, and interfering using a City of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - around R54.3-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money many years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing สลาก กิน รัฐบาล as two of various directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing yearly stories.
A completely new entity Using the exact same identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. Rather, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared and the machinery was eradicated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial place, which housed several of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum site, like the aged a person in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not entry it. There was no signage within the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this calendar year right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is a previous director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about fantastic stories related to earlier funding obtained through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.