“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded tools

“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded tools

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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed from the National Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution right after products paid out for with money with the Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the prison fees could contain fraud, removing of apparatus that were connected from the Sheriff and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter.
The costs stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court docket make a difference, is trying to get to recover about R2.five-million in unpaid hire, interest, legal expenses and damage to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following devices compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town making.

Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Industrial Crime Unit on 16 October 2024 and advised to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.

GroundUp attended courtroom about the day even so the issue was not put on the courtroom roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.

The felony expenses stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is trying to get to Get well more than R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape City.

The developing was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly running.

The premises also housed several corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine superior flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat producing business and a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous moments for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery while in the eighties.

As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese through the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.

Though Stemmet is nevertheless to be offered with a cost sheet, probable fees, contain fraud, removal of apparatus that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering that has a City of Cape Town energy meter, In keeping with an e mail sent 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 resources allotted to your CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money decades, Based on National Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reviews.

Stemmet was appointed a director of the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล as two of a number of directors on the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.

Based on Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly experiences.

A whole new entity While using the identical name was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet no more a director, In keeping with CIPC data. As a substitute, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.

On the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared and also the equipment was removed, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The gear was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s enterprises along with a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.

However, the meant new museum web page, such as aged just one in Wetton, was very well from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and readers couldn't access it. There was no signage over the making indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.

The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allocated R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had acquired Covid funding but eventually relented under media and parliamentary pressure.

Other lottery grants allocated to non-revenue entities linked to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates incorporate R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is really a previous director on 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 places of work, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 to get a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding reviews connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.

GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.

Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a 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 corporation through which the wife of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo immediately after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.

GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.