“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution soon after products paid for with funds in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town developing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison fees could incorporate fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering with a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court docket make a difference, is in search of to Get well around R2.five-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The making was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after gear paid out for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to look inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the day nevertheless the issue wasn't put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is looking for to Get well over R2.five-million in unpaid lease, interest, lawful fees and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Formerly the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed several firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a drugs large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises ended up a hat production firm and a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested a number of occasions for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed robbery while in the eighties.
Based on an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is still for being introduced having a cost sheet, feasible fees, include fraud, elimination of apparatus that were connected via the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape Town electrical energy meter, As outlined by an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Section of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allotted into the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - more than R54.three-million - paid within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical several years, In keeping with Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ruay as two of quite a few directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one among the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual studies.
A new entity Together with the exact same title was subsequently registered as A personal company, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC data. In its place, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as the equipment was eliminated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial region, which housed many of Stemmet’s enterprises and a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web site, such as the old one in Wetton, was well faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and website visitors could not obtain it. There was no signage to the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises previously this year soon 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 initially refused to reveal who had obtained Covid funding but eventually relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities linked to Stemmet and his family and his associates consist of R1.4-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is actually a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which is registered with 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”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC lifted questions on excellent studies relevant to previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation can be a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation through which the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo following Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be paid to his wife’s organization.
GroundUp despatched thoughts to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.