“Pot” Stemmet faces prices in excess of theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices in excess of theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed by the National Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned from the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution soon after products paid for with money in the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court docket in January.
In line with a prosecutor the legal costs could include things like fraud, removing of apparatus that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City energy meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court docket subject, is searching for to recover over R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, lawful expenditures and damage to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was previously the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud just after machines compensated for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town developing.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and informed to look inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket on the working day but the matter was not placed on the court roll as the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The felony charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to Get better over R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, authorized charges and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed numerous businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a prescription drugs substantial flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran through the premises were being a hat manufacturing firm and also a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested numerous instances for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft inside the 1980s.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
Though Stemmet is but to become introduced using a charge sheet, possible prices, include things like fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter, In accordance with an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of much more than R64-million in Lottery funds allotted to the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - over R54.three-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical years, In accordance with Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล หวย ลาว as two of several administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one among the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year reviews.
A different entity Using the very same title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, As outlined by 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 following early morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared as well as the equipment was taken off, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial space, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies in addition to a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned by the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the intended new museum internet site, just like the previous one particular in Wetton, was perfectly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and site visitors could not access it. There was no signage around the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this calendar year immediately after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA gained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who experienced obtained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-revenue entities connected to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates consist of R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual studies. Stemmet is often a former director on the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered for the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on excellent studies related to earlier funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received through the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is often a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to legal professionals acting in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be compensated to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent thoughts to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.