“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed via the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution just after products paid out for with resources from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
As outlined by a prosecutor the criminal fees could include fraud, removal of kit that were hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape City electric power meter.
The charges stem from the criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil courtroom make a difference, is looking for to Get better above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, authorized expenditures and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Highway, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly functioning.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud after machines compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and told to look while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day even so the make a difference wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The prison fees stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to get to Get better in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized costs and harm to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-previous minstrel society was supposedly working.
The premises also housed a number of enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine higher flier. Between the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat producing company as well as a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested quite a few situations for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery while in the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on thirty January 2025.
Though Stemmet is but being offered by using a charge sheet, feasible costs, include fraud, elimination of kit that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter, In accordance with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to your CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - above R54.3-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money decades, Based on National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued lottovip as two of various directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual stories.
A whole new entity Using the similar identify was subsequently registered as A personal organization, but with Stemmet no more a director, In keeping with CIPC documents. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were being appointed as administrators.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared along with the machinery was taken off, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at The brand new premises.
Even so, the meant new museum site, such as the previous one particular in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and guests could not obtain it. There was no signage over the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises earlier this calendar year immediately after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the one lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who experienced obtained Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities associated with Stemmet and his household and his associates contain R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is usually a previous director with the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC raised questions on exceptional experiences relevant to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase on the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally proposed that the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.