“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after equipment compensated for with resources through the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the felony rates could include fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape Town electric power meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom subject, is searching for to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal expenses and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud just after devices paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and informed to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day but the make a difference was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The criminal costs stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to get to Get better about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized expenses and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medications superior flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran from the premises had been a hat manufacturing business along with a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested many periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery within the nineteen eighties.
Based on an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nonetheless to get introduced using a demand sheet, feasible prices, contain fraud, elimination of kit that were attached through the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Town of Cape City electricity meter, In accordance with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allocated to your CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.three-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money many years, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (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 ongoing ตรวจ as two of quite a few directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual studies.
A whole new entity While using the exact identify was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial region, 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.
However, the meant new museum web page, like the aged just one in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and site visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage about the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year immediately after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced received Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about superb reviews relevant to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is actually a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of the to attorneys performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.