“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution right after tools paid for with funds in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison rates could involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached via the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape City electrical power meter.
The costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court issue, is trying to get to recover more than 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 City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after tools compensated for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and instructed to appear inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court about the working day however the make a difference wasn't put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is searching for to Recuperate more than R2.five-million in unpaid lease, interest, lawful charges and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed various firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs substantial flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran with the premises ended up a hat manufacturing firm as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested many situations for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is yet to become presented with a cost sheet, achievable costs, include fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected from the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter, As outlined by an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated towards the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical yrs, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล หวย ลาว as two of quite a few directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly reports.
A different entity With all the similar title was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by CIPC data. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared as well as machinery was eradicated, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses as well as a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum site, just like the old one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage over the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises before this 12 months right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-earnings entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is actually a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on outstanding stories related to earlier funding acquired by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.