“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded products
Blog Article
Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed with the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution right after machines compensated for with money within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
According to a prosecutor the prison expenses could involve fraud, removing of kit that were connected via the Sheriff and interfering with a Town of Cape Town electric power meter.
The fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil courtroom matter, is looking for to Get better in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Highway, in the industrial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is also wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel society was supposedly running.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud just after devices paid for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape City creating.
Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Business Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and told to seem in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom over the day even so the make any difference wasn't put on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The legal prices stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's seeking to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, lawful fees and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed various companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicine superior flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat manufacturing business as well as a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested numerous occasions for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
In line with an SMS sent to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on 30 January 2025.
While Stemmet is but to be offered having a cost sheet, feasible fees, consist of fraud, elimination of equipment that had been attached via the Sheriff, and interfering having a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter, In keeping with an email sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the matter.
A grant of almost R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of over R64-million in Lottery funds allotted on the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - above R54.3-million - compensated during the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money yrs, In line with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the 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 being a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing annual reviews.
A different entity Using the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC documents. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
To the evening of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent early morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared and the machinery was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial space, which housed many of Stemmet’s businesses as well as a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
On the other hand, the meant new museum web page, like the old 1 in Wetton, was effectively faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and website visitors could not access it. There was no signage around the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises previously this calendar year immediately after he fell sick.
The funding to establish a museum was not the only real lottery grant that the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.four-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Occasions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is usually a previous director of your 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 previous Crete Road 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 excellent stories connected with before funding received because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given by the CTMCA.
Also below investigation is often a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to attorneys performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.