“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded products
Blog Article
Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed with the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution immediately after devices paid out for with funds from the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the legal rates could include things like fraud, removal of apparatus that had been hooked up from the Sheriff and interfering by using a Town of Cape City electrical power meter.
The charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court make a difference, is in search of to Get well about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal expenses and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the day even so the subject was not placed on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The prison fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal expenditures and damage to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed various corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a drugs large flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises ended up a hat manufacturing corporation plus a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested several instances for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery from the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS despatched to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is but to get presented with a cost sheet, feasible charges, incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up with the Sheriff, and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter, In accordance with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of more than R64-million in Lottery funds allocated on the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - around R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic a long time, In line with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of many directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual reviews.
A completely new entity Using the very same identify was subsequently registered as A personal organization, but with Stemmet no more a director, according to CIPC records. Alternatively, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Around the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared and the equipment was eliminated, Based on an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed many of Stemmet’s organizations in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Even so, the meant new museum website, such as old a single in Wetton, was properly clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage to the making indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises earlier this calendar year just after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the one lottery grant that the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but ultimately relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities connected to Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is really a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered on the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions about exceptional reports connected to previously funding received because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business through which the spouse of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba personally recommended which the grant be paid to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.