Legendary actor Sello Maake kaNcube’s failed marriage to his latest wife, Pearl Mbewe, is now hitting where it hurts most, in the pocket.
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has withdrawn more than R1.8-million in grants it had approved for allocation to the actor’s foundation, Sello Maake kaNcube Foundation NPC, which is based in Ekhaya Centre in Dube, Soweto.
The NLC had approved the funds, which were earmarked to finance the foundation’s concept, The Land is Ours.
But after the former Generations thespian’s acrimonious separation from Mbewe, which saw him confiscating their two vehicles – a Mercedes Benz and Porsche – and kicking her out of their entities and obtaining a protection order against her, she wrote to the NLC’s Seipati Nkanyane a few months ago and asked the state-owned entity to withdraw the application for funding, saying ‘The Land is Ours’ was her intellectual property.
Mbewe’s letter, which Sunday World has seen, reads as follows: “Dear Seipati, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to formally withdraw my proposal, ‘The Land is Ours,’ which was submitted to the National Lotteries Commission for funding consideration, which was later granted.
“Please note that I have not authorised the NLC or the Sello Maake kaNcube Foundation to utilise or implement any aspect of my proposal or intellectual property.
“I kindly request that you inform your legal department and relevant stakeholders of this formal withdrawal.
“Thank you for considering my proposal. I appreciate the time and effort invested in reviewing my concept.
“Please advise if you need anything on my side to make the rejection of the grant official.”
The NLC responded to Mbewe’s letter a few days later and said it was investigating her request.
After the NLC’s investigation, the parastatal’s Gauteng acting provincial manager, Sonja Laubscher van Zyl, wrote to Mbewe on March 28, stating that they had taken a decision to withdraw the funds.
“Please note that NLC has withdrawn the grant of R1 865 000 allocated to your organisation by the Arts, Culture, and National Heritage Distributing Agency as per your e-mail request dated 24 March 2025.
“If you require any additional information regarding the contents of this letter, please contact NLC on 012 432 1300 or send an email to gp@nlcsa.org.za,” reads the letter, which we have seen.
Mbewe declined to comment.
“I have no comment to make at this stage, my good sir. I will relate my story at the right time,” she said.
NLC spokesperson Rudzani Tshigemane confirmed that the funds have been withdrawn at Mbewe’s behest. “ The main contact on the application form communicated to the NLC that she would like to withdraw the allocation. So it was a voluntary withdrawal,” she said.
It is what it is….