“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces fees around theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution soon after equipment paid out for with funds in the Lottery was removed from a Cape Town making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal fees could consist of fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape City electric power meter.
The charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court docket subject, is trying to find to Recuperate over R2.5-million in unpaid hire, desire, legal expenditures and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was previously the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after products paid for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and explained to to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket within the working day but the issue wasn't put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket in January.
The felony rates stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's looking for to Recuperate above R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized fees and damage to a rented building in Crete Street, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was Earlier the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed quite a few firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have described as a medicines superior flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat producing business as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few times for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery in the nineteen eighties.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is still to generally be offered that has a demand sheet, possible rates, involve fraud, removing of apparatus that had been connected from the Sheriff, and interfering that has a Town of Cape City electric power meter, As outlined by an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of virtually R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of greater than R64-million in Lottery cash allotted to the CTMCA in between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - around R54.three-million - compensated within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economic decades, In accordance with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) once-a-year stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ as two of quite a few administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual stories.
A whole new entity Together with the same name was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC records. As an alternative, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Over the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared as well as the machinery was eradicated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial spot, which housed various of Stemmet’s firms along with a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at the new premises.
Even so, the intended new museum web page, just like the previous a person in Wetton, was effectively faraway from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and website visitors couldn't obtain it. There was no signage around the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises previously this year right after he fell ill.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC initially refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but lastly relented underneath media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities connected to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates contain R1.4-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, As outlined by NLC yearly stories. Stemmet is usually a previous director with the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which is registered at the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on excellent stories linked to before funding obtained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given through the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is really a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, towards the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his wife’s corporation.
GroundUp despatched inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.