“Pot” Stemmet faces prices more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution just after products paid out for with money within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal charges could contain fraud, elimination of apparatus that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering using a City of Cape City electricity meter.
The fees stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket issue, is in search of to recover about R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized costs and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was previously the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-old minstrel society was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud after devices paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and told to look during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom around the working day even so the make a difference was not placed on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The criminal prices stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is searching for to Get well in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, lawful costs and harm to a rented building in Crete Road, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed quite a few organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicine higher flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran within the premises were a hat production enterprise as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested various situations for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery while in the eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is but for being introduced that has a cost sheet, attainable expenses, contain fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering with a City of Cape Town electric power meter, In line with an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was A part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.3-million - paid inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic a long time, In line with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย หุ้น as two of many directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the administrators. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared plus 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 various of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at the new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum web-site, such as aged a person in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests could not obtain it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this year after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit 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 an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly reviews. Stemmet is really a previous director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about exceptional stories related to before funding received through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.