“Pot” Stemmet faces costs above theft of Lottery-funded machines

“Pot” Stemmet faces costs above theft of Lottery-funded machines

Blog Article

Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed via the National Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC

Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution following gear paid for with cash through the Lottery was removed from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in courtroom in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the felony charges could incorporate fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached with the Sheriff and interfering that has a Town of Cape Town electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in the civil court matter, is trying to get to Recuperate around R2.5-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, authorized charges and harm to a rented setting up in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly where by a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly working.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud just after machines compensated for with Lottery cash was removed from a Cape Town developing.

Stemmet was arrested by the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Device on 16 Oct 2024 and told to look while in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.

GroundUp attended court docket within the working day however the make any difference wasn't put on the court docket roll because the investigating officer did not produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court docket in January.

The prison fees stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is looking for to recover about R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and harm to a rented making in Crete Road, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.

The building was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-aged minstrel culture was supposedly operating.

The premises also housed numerous corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a drugs high flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat manufacturing company along with a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested a number of times for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery during the eighties.

In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.

Although Stemmet is nevertheless to become offered that has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removing of equipment that had been attached from the Sheriff, and interfering by using a Metropolis of Cape Town electrical energy meter, In line with an e-mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the subject.

A grant of virtually R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was part of more than R64-million in Lottery resources allocated to the CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - more than R54.three-million - paid from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 monetary years, As outlined by Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual studies.

Stemmet was appointed a director of your CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ผล สลาก as two of quite a few directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.

According to Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.

A whole new entity Along with the exact title was subsequently registered as A non-public firm, but with Stemmet not a director, In accordance with CIPC records. Instead, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.

Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises ended up cleared as well as 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 many 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 outdated one particular in Wetton, was properly from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and guests couldn't entry it. There was no signage within the building indicating that it housed a museum.

Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises earlier this calendar year soon after he fell unwell.

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.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC originally refused to expose who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.

Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family and his associates consist of R1.4-million for the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is usually a previous director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.

And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered with the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on superb reports linked to previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.

GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired with the CTMCA.

Also underneath investigation is often a R1-million payment with the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently compensated R500,000 of the to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.

MDU also acted as being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business by which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi received R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually recommended that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s enterprise.

GroundUp sent queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.