“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded gear
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses about theft of Lottery-funded gear
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed by the National Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution immediately after products paid out for with cash from your Lottery was faraway from a Cape City building he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
According to a prosecutor the felony expenses could consist of fraud, removing of equipment that were connected by the Sheriff and interfering with a Town of Cape Town energy meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court make a difference, is in search of to recover in excess of R2.five-million in unpaid rent, desire, legal costs and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Highway, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The constructing was Earlier the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after devices paid for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town building.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Unit on sixteen October 2024 and told to seem during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court docket on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the day however the make any difference was not placed on the court roll because the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court in January.
The legal fees stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is seeking to recover above R2.five-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal charges and damage to a rented making in Crete Street, in the industrial place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed many firms owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have referred to as a medicines high flier. Amid the companies Stemmet ran through the premises had been a hat producing corporation along with a nightclub. Stemmet has long been arrested numerous periods for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed robbery within the nineteen eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is still to be presented with a demand sheet, possible charges, contain fraud, removal of apparatus that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape Town electricity meter, Based on an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Section of greater than R64-million in Lottery money allotted towards the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - about R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal decades, In accordance with Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing lottovip as two of various directors with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly stories.
A whole new entity with the identical title was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet not a director, In line with CIPC documents. As a substitute, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared and the equipment was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed various of Stemmet’s companies and also a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the tools at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the intended new museum web site, such as previous one particular in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people couldn't entry it. There was no signage to the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this yr following he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who had gained Covid funding but lastly relented underneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-earnings entities connected to Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates consist of R1.4-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year studies. Stemmet is actually a former director of your committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street places of work, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. Even so, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on exceptional stories associated with previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of 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 lawyers acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business through which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition of your mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo after Letwaba personally suggested which the grant be paid to his wife’s company.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.