Councillor and NPO in legal rift
CASE: Cllr Antonio
A Hanover Park resident is embroiled in a legal battle with a local ward councillor over various issues between the two that has caused division among a network of non-profit organisations operating in the area.
Roberto Stemmet, 53, founder of Youth Impact and Sustainable Solutions, said ward 47 councillor Antonio van der Rheede has laid a case of intimidation against him and he will appear in court today.
“The councillor and I have been friends for 35 years and we even worked together for five years. I know his family well so I do not know why things have turned out this way.
“I grew up in Hanover Park and returned here three years ago while my organisation has been around since 2016. We aim to empower the youth and our goal is to put Hanover Park on a higher level but I have noticed that the councillor freezes out those who do not agree with him and that is what is happening between us now,” he says.
Lesley Wyngaard of the Alcardo Andrews Foundation agrees with Roberto, while she also shed light on the incident that led to today’s court case.
“We arranged for a meeting with the councillor at the start of January but he did not respond to our messages, something he has been doing for a while now.
“We came to the civic anyway but were denied access and then Roberto had a few words with the official there before we moved on to Freedom Square to have the meeting.
“Following that day on January 12, Roberto was summoned to court for intimidation but nothing like that happened and the councillor was not even there.”
When the Daily Voice contacted Van Der Rheede, he said: “The matter is sub judice, so I cannot comment on it.
“I have nothing to say about allegations of favouritism as I cannot give comment on baseless allegations.”