“Pot” Stemmet faces prices more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution immediately after devices paid out for with funds in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal prices could incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court issue, is trying to get to Get better more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, legal fees and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud after devices paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to seem during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court about the working day however the make any difference wasn't put on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The felony charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is searching for to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, lawful expenses and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed quite a few corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medicine high flier. Between the companies Stemmet ran in the premises ended up a hat producing enterprise plus a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested various times for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery within the 1980s.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nonetheless to get offered having a cost sheet, feasible costs, include fraud, removal of equipment that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering with a City of Cape Town electricity meter, Based on an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the issue.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allotted towards the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - more than R54.three-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical a long time, As outlined by National Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued cat888 as two of quite a few directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year studies.
A new entity Together with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, according to CIPC records. Alternatively, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared as well as equipment was taken off, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial area, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s enterprises plus a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum web page, just like the old just one in Wetton, was perfectly away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage on the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this yr right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced received Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities connected to Stemmet and his family and his associates include things like R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual studies. Stemmet is often a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered within the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Even so, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on fantastic experiences associated with earlier funding acquired via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation can be a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained 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 firm.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.