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Parties boycott City of Cape Town council meeting as mayor defends JP Smith
Opposition parties are demanding that Smith and Limberg be removed from their positions.
Documents are loaded into a vehicle during a raid at the offices of JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg on 24 January 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Jaco Marais
Opposition parties in the City of Cape Town have staged a boycott of the first council sitting of 2025, demanding the immediate dismissal of mayoral committee members (MMCs) JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg.
The protest took place outside the Cape Town Civic Centre on Thursday after Democratic Alliance (DA) member and Council Speaker Felicity Purchase decided to change the council meeting from an in-person session to a virtual one.
GOOD Party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), African National Congress (ANC), and National Coloured Congress (NCC) have accused Purchase of shielding Smith and Limberg, both DA councillors, from accountability.
JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg’s City of Cape Town offices raided
The demonstrations follow last week’s law enforcement raids at Smith and Limberg’s offices.
According to the South African Police Service (Saps) in the Western Cape, the raids were conducted under a search-and-seizure warrant related to alleged tender fraud in the City of Cape Town’s construction sector.
Former human settlements MMC Malusi Booi’s office was raided on 15 March 2023.
ALSO READ: Zille says Cape Town mayor to look at evidence before deciding to suspend officials after raids
Booi was suspended a day later and subsequently dismissed from his position on 23 March.
Opposition parties are now demanding that Smith, the MMC for safety and security, and Limberg, the MMC for energy, face similar action.
Smith has dismissed the raid as a “politically motivated” attack against him, while Limberg suggested she was being targeted because of her association with Smith.
Opposition push for action
GOOD party’s Western Cape member of the provincial legislature Brett Herron revealed that opposition parties had written to Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile, requesting a meeting to address concerns about Smith and Limberg.
Herron announced that Patekile had agreed to meet with a delegation from the provincial legislature on 3 February to discuss the issue.
“We have just received word that the provincial police commissioner has agreed to meet with us as a delegation directly on Monday, the 3rd of February, which is a welcome move by the police commissioner because we do need to understand the Democratic Alliance narrative and how Saps [South African Police Service] intends to deal with it,” Herron stated during the Civic Centre protest.
City of Cape Town mayor’s response to suspension calls
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has defended his decision not to suspend Smith and Limberg.
Hill-Lewis, who met with Patekile and other police officials this week, said Saps could not provide substantive evidence of wrongdoing.
He explained that the police clarified that executing a search warrant does not necessarily indicate criminal activity.
“Saps was unable to share any information that substantiates any allegation, even suggestion of wrongdoing.
“They made it clear that at this stage it is an inquiry, that they are looking into the names mentioned in that so-called ledger book, notebook, and that’s their job,” the mayor told the media on Thursday.
READ MORE: ‘Political hit-squad’ behind police raid, says JP Smith
Hill-Lewis stressed that, in the absence of substantive evidence, there was no justification for suspending the MMCs.
“On the basis of what is before me, I must make a decision that I think stands up to the test of my own conscience and stands up to the test of time.
“That decision for me is that there is simply nothing before me that gives me justification to remove Alderman Smith,” the mayor explained.
He further backed Smith.
“I think that he is an essential part of this city’s success. He does an amazing job to lead our metro police and law enforcement in keeping Cape Town safer.
“So until that changes and until I see something substantive before me, that is my decision for now.”
The mayor revealed in a statement released on Wednesday that he had sought legal advice, which supported his stance on Smith and Limberg.
He emphasised that the DA councillors were cooperating fully with Saps.
Booi case ‘different’
Hill-Lewis also highlighted differences between the current situation and the matter involving Booi.
The mayor indicated that the police had provided him with “insight into substantive evidence of alleged corruption” and informed him of their plans to make an arrest.
“It should be pointed out that there are crucial differences between this and the earlier matter relating to Malusi Booi, which has since proceeded to trial.”
Booi was arrested in September 2024 and charged, along with eight others, in a R1 billion tender fraud case.
He is currently out on R250 000 bail.
NOW READ: Former DA councillor Malusi Booi’s co-accused shot dead two days after bail release
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