“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution after machines compensated for with funds with the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the prison expenses could include things like fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected with the Sheriff and interfering that has a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court docket subject, is trying to find to recover over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, authorized prices and harm to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the commercial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after equipment paid for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on sixteen October 2024 and informed to appear during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court around the working day although the make a difference wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The prison rates stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to recover over R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, authorized prices and damage to a rented making in Crete Street, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed numerous companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a prescription drugs large flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran within the premises have been a hat producing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested a number of times for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery while in the 1980s.
In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is yet to get offered by using a demand sheet, possible expenses, incorporate fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up via the Sheriff, and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter, according to an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to your CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid out from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money several years, In keeping with Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ruay as two of several administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year studies.
A fresh entity Along with the exact same title was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet not a director, In keeping with CIPC records. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
About the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises were being cleared and the equipment was eliminated, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial space, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
However, the supposed new museum website, much like the outdated just one in Wetton, was well away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not accessibility it. There was no signage to the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this year following he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the one lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities connected to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates contain R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual reports. Stemmet is actually a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about excellent stories associated with previously funding gained from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s business.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.