“Pot” Stemmet faces charges over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges over theft of Lottery-funded tools
Blog Article
Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution after gear compensated for with cash through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal prices could contain fraud, removing of equipment that had been connected via the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electricity meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court docket make any difference, is looking for to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful expenditures and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’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 faraway from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket to the day but the issue was not placed on the court roll as the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The criminal charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to find to Recuperate more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful fees and damage to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed numerous organizations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a drugs large flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran with the premises had been a hat production corporation in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested a number of occasions for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft while in the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is however to be offered with a cost sheet, possible prices, incorporate fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected via the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape Town electric power meter, Based on an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the matter.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was A part of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated for the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - around R54.three-million - compensated in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary many years, In accordance with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตัว หวย as two of quite a few directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was considered one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Property Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual experiences.
A different entity With all the similar identify was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC data. In its place, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk had been appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared as well as machinery was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial region, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web page, such as aged just one in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months right after he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates contain R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and style programme”. On the other hand, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions about remarkable experiences associated with earlier funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers acting in the acquisition 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 company in which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition on 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 queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.