“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded machines

“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded machines

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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed from the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution soon after machines compensated for with resources through the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the legal expenses could incorporate fraud, elimination of equipment that were connected with the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape City electrical power meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom matter, is searching for to Get better more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized fees and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was Formerly the headquarters in the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted prison Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud following machines paid out for with Lottery resources was faraway from a Cape Town making.

Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Industrial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and told to seem inside the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court docket on 21 November.

GroundUp attended court about the working day however the issue wasn't put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.

The criminal costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's looking for to recover over R2.five-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal costs and harm to a rented making in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.

The developing was Earlier 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 This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s centuries-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.

The premises also housed various companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medication significant flier. Among the the businesses Stemmet ran from the premises have been a hat producing business in addition to a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested several moments for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft during the nineteen eighties.

In keeping with an SMS sent to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket on thirty January 2025.

While Stemmet is nonetheless to become introduced having a cost sheet, feasible charges, consist of fraud, elimination of equipment that had been connected through the Sheriff, and interfering having a Town of Cape Town electricity meter, according to an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the subject.

A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Portion of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of the money - above R54.3-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary yrs, In accordance with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year stories.

Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing ตรวจ สลากกินแบ่ง รัฐบาล as two of a number of administrators with the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed being a director in 2021.

In keeping with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was certainly one of the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Property Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly studies.

A new entity Along with the similar identify was subsequently registered as a private corporation, but with Stemmet now not a director, according to CIPC information. Instead, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.

To the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises have been cleared along with the equipment was taken out, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent within the Athlone industrial space, which housed various of Stemmet’s organizations and a new “minstrel museum”, As outlined by a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at the new premises.

On the other hand, the supposed new museum web-site, like the old a single in Wetton, was properly faraway from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and people couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage about the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises before this yr following he fell unwell.

The funding to establish a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA acquired. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but lastly relented less than media and parliamentary stress.

Other lottery grants allotted to non-profit entities connected to Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates include things like R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Activities Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is usually a previous director with the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is at present a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nonetheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions about superb reviews connected to earlier funding acquired by the CTMCA.

GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.

Also less than investigation is really a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.

MDU also acted to be a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation in which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba Individually suggested which the grant be paid to his wife’s organization.

GroundUp despatched inquiries to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.