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The two MMCs said they were not told what the raids were in connection with.
Picture for illustration purposes. Photo: SAPS
Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith believes there is a smear campaign against him, after police raided his office on Friday.
Police searched the offices of Smith and Xanthea Limberg in connection with criminal activity in the construction industry.
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis requested an urgent briefing from Saps to understand the allegations behind the searches.
The Citizen has reached out to both Smith and Limberg for comment but there was no reply at the time this article was published. However, taking to social media, Smith cried foul.
“I have been tipped off that some political actors have been working on a smear campaign and have mobilised a political ‘hit-squad’ against me. I was alerted to this some months back.
“I have been reliably informed that senior ANC politicians have been briefed by members within SAPS. In addition, a concerned person has sent me recordings of conversations that, even just at face value, reveals a political conspiracy against me by political office bearers, a private security company, and possibly that of members within SAPS, yet undetermined at this stage if these are past employees or still serving within SAPS still today,”he said, not naming the people he suspected as being behind the raids.
He also suspected that his political opponents were attempting to “paralyse” his role in the position DA Cape Town metro chairperson.
“I want to reassure residents of Cape Town that I will work to clear my name and that in the meantime I will continue to focus on what matters: public safety and the work of the City and will not allow myself to be distracted.”
Cape Town police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said the raids were in connection with tender fraud in the construction sector within the City of Cape Town.
He said police had raided the offices as part of forensic investigations into a case that is currently before the courts.
“Several municipal officials and business owners are facing a myriad of charges that relate to the same investigation.
“Whether the investigations the commercial crimes detective team is embarking upon now will lead to arrests, remains to be seen,” he said.
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He said no arrests have been made at this point.
“Suffice to indicate, the team requests space to conduct its investigation. Speculation about who the investigation is directed at, seizure of items and possible arrests, would be premature at this point,” he said.
Traut said police investigators will not discuss the pertinent details of their investigations.
“Currently, the focus is on presenting a strong case before the court,” he said.
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