“Pot” Stemmet faces costs above theft of Lottery-funded machines
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs above theft of Lottery-funded machines
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the National 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 following tools paid for with resources from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal prices could incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that were attached by the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter.
The costs stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom matter, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud after products compensated for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day but the matter wasn't put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison prices stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is in search of to Recuperate around R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, lawful charges and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-old minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed many enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs higher flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat producing corporation plus a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested numerous instances for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to be presented by using a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town electricity meter, Based on an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allotted for the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal years, As outlined by Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued เช ค หวย as two of several administrators from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year experiences.
A new entity Using the identical name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, according to CIPC documents. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as administrators.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared and also the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial region, which housed many of Stemmet’s enterprises as well as a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at the new premises.
However, the supposed new museum site, such as the previous a single in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not obtain it. There was no signage to the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant which the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced obtained Covid funding but eventually relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates consist of R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is often a former director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding reviews connected with before funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated 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 being 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 been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.