“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees about theft of Lottery-funded equipment
Blog Article
Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution right after devices paid for with funds through the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the legal costs could consist of fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court subject, is in search of to recover in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, legal charges and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after machines paid out for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Business Criminal offense Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and advised to look while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court about the working day nevertheless the matter was not put on the courtroom roll as the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The criminal costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to get to Get better around R2.five-million in unpaid lease, interest, legal prices and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-aged minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed various organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a medication substantial flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises were being a hat manufacturing corporation and a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested many moments for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery inside the 1980s.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court on thirty January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is yet to get presented with a demand sheet, doable expenses, consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected from the Sheriff, and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape City electrical energy meter, according to an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of greater than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated towards the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - about R54.3-million - paid inside the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary many years, In line with Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly studies.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued สลาก กิน รัฐบาล as two of a number of administrators of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one of the administrators. The company was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing once-a-year reports.
A different entity Using the similar identify was subsequently registered as a private firm, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as administrators.
Over the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared along with the machinery was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial spot, which housed various of Stemmet’s enterprises along with a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Nevertheless, the intended new museum site, such as the outdated a single in Wetton, was very well away from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests could not access it. There was no signage around the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this year following he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had acquired Covid funding but finally relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates include things like R1.four-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is a former director of the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Road offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC raised questions about outstanding stories connected with earlier funding acquired by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding obtained because of the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.