“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution after tools compensated for with resources from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the legal prices could involve fraud, removing of apparatus that had been hooked up via the Sheriff and interfering with a Town of Cape Town energy meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court matter, is seeking to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is wherever 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 right after machines paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and advised to look from the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket within the day though the make a difference was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The legal prices stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, legal expenses and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed many companies owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medication significant flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat producing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few times for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft within the 1980s.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is yet being offered that has a cost sheet, feasible costs, include fraud, removing of apparatus that had been connected via the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape Town energy meter, As outlined by an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of greater than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted into the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - about R54.3-million - paid while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money years, In accordance with 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 wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ as two of a number of administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth corporation of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual experiences.
A fresh entity with the very same title was subsequently registered as a private enterprise, but with Stemmet now not a director, Based on CIPC records. Rather, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises were being cleared and also the equipment was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s businesses plus a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum website, such as the previous one particular in Wetton, was properly far from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't entry it. There was no signage to the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises earlier this 12 months immediately after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum wasn't the only lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates consist of R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is often a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and style programme”. However, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about outstanding stories linked to previously funding gained through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation can be a R1-million payment because of 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 previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally suggested which the grant be compensated to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.