“Pot” Stemmet faces costs more than theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs more than theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution soon after products paid out for with funds from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal rates could involve fraud, removal of apparatus that were connected with the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court issue, is trying to get to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, legal costs and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing 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Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town creating.
Stemmet was arrested via the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to appear from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court to the working day even so the matter wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer didn't provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal expenses stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is trying to get to Get well in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-old minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
The premises also housed various enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs high flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises were a hat producing corporation and also a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested various instances for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is nevertheless to be presented by using a cost sheet, probable costs, incorporate fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been attached through the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, In accordance with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the subject.
A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Element of much more than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated to your CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - about R54.3-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal many years, As outlined by National Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of a number of administrators of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing yearly stories.
A new entity Using the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet now not a director, In keeping with CIPC data. As a substitute, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared as well as machinery was taken off, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial place, which housed a number of of Stemmet’s firms and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the intended new museum internet site, similar to the outdated one particular in Wetton, was effectively far from any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year just after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but ultimately relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include things like R1.four-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is often a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which happens to be registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about remarkable reports linked to previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given via the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm through which the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition of the mansion. Zibsimanzi gained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba personally recommended that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.