“Pot” Stemmet faces prices about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed from the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution following gear compensated for with cash from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison fees could contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil courtroom make any difference, is looking for to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud right after machines paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and informed to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket over the working day though the make any difference wasn't placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's searching for to Recuperate about R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful costs and harm to a rented building in Crete Street, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed many businesses owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medicines large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises have been a hat production organization as well as a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery within the eighties.
In line with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to be presented that has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removing of equipment that had been attached from the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, In line with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Portion of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - in excess of R54.three-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal many years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ruay as two of numerous administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A fresh entity Along with the similar identify was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. Rather, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
On the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared along with the equipment was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at the new premises.
Even so, the supposed new museum web site, such as the old one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and readers couldn't access it. There was no signage over the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this yr just after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding reviews connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting 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 corporation through which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo soon after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.