“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses over theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses over theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed via the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution soon after products compensated for with cash with the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the felony prices could include fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected through the Sheriff and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court issue, is trying to get to Get better over R2.five-million in unpaid hire, desire, lawful expenditures and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.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 devices paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City building.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and told to appear inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the issue 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 rates stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized costs and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic region of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
The premises also housed several organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medications substantial flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises had been a hat manufacturing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested various moments for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed theft inside the nineteen eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to become offered that has a demand sheet, possible expenses, include things like fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up via the Sheriff, and interfering with a Town of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted for the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - in excess of R54.three-million - paid during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal years, In line with Countrywide 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 continued สลาก กิน รัฐบาล as two of many administrators on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the making was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was one among the directors. The business was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual studies.
A new entity With all the exact identify was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet now not a director, In line with CIPC information. As a substitute, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
On the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared and also 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 area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s corporations and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web-site, such as outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and site visitors couldn't entry it. There was no signage within the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this calendar year right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. 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 allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates involve R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding reviews relevant to before funding been given from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally encouraged which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.