Zille says Cape Town mayor to look at evidence before deciding to suspend officials after raids

DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille has defended Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis against criticism of his handling of recent office raids involving senior officials.

Hill-Lewis has been accused of responding differently to the raids on the offices of safety and security MMC JP Smith and energy MMC Xanthea Limberg compared to the raid involving former human settlements MMC Malusi Booi.

Authorities raided Smith and Limberg’s offices on Friday, 23 January, seizing documents and cellphones.

The raid is linked to allegations of tender fraud in the City of Cape Town’s construction sector.

ALSO READ: Former DA councillor Malusi Booi’s co-accused shot dead two days after bail release

In March 2023, Booi’s office was similarly raided.

Following the raid, the former human settlements MMC was suspended and later dismissed.

He subsequently resigned as a DA councillor and was arrested in September 2024.

Booi is facing charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering in connection with three illegally awarded housing tenders valued at R1 billion.

Zille defends Hill-Lewis

At a media briefing, Zille stated that Hill-Lewis has consistently based his decisions on the prima facie evidence in each case.

The DA federal chairperson highlighted the mayor’s consultation with the authorities to verify whether the raids were politically motivated or based on substantial evidence.

She explained that the decision to suspend Booi was influenced by the police providing significant evidence against him.

“The police weren’t obliged to do that, but they said yes, there’s a lot of substantive stuff.

“The prima facie evidence convinced the mayor that there was a serious case that Malusi had to answer, and he, therefore, suspended him.”

Watch the briefing below:

Other cases of suspension of City of Cape Town officials

Zille referenced other instances where Hill-Lewis had to decide on suspensions.

She mentioned the case of water and sanitation MMC Zahid Badroodien, who was suspended after allegations surfaced that a house in his name had its electricity meter bypassed.

“It was a fact that it had been bypassed; he suspended him, but then the member could prove that other people lived there and that they had done that even though the house was in his name.

“So then he was reinstated obviously, but there was a prima facie case against him because, in a house owned by him, the electricity meter had been bypassed.”

READ MORE: Former Cape Town MMC, DA councillor Malusi Booi granted R250K bail

Another case involved an official accused of rape.

Zille said Hill-Lewis decided not to suspend the official after being convinced there was no prima facie evidence against them.

“There was a very convincing argument that it might have been a revenge motive, so he said we’ll wait for the court case to run its course.

“We won’t be the jury and judges of the criminal trial, and the person was acquitted. So Geordin made the right decision.”

Zille on JP Smith raid

Zille emphasised that Hill-Lewis assesses evidence before making decisions and revealed that he had requested a meeting with the South African Police Service (Saps) regarding the JP Smith case.

“All I know is that Geordin looks at what evidence there is, and he’s doing exactly the same with the JP Smith case.

“In the JP Smith case, he’s asked the police to extend to him the same courtesy as they extended to him with Malusi Booi and he says before he takes a decision to suspend, he’s got to check whether this is a political hit squad or whether there’s something genuine.”

READ MORE: ‘Political hit-squad’ behind police raid, says JP Smith

The DA federal chairperson added that the mayor expects to receive the briefing imminently and will decide based on the evidence presented.

DA calls for action against Ntshavheni

Zille also addressed the DA’s call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to act against Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

Ntshavheni has been implicated in an alleged R2.5 million illegal tender during her tenure as municipal manager of the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality in Limpopo.

 ”If you compare every other case that has been raised around issues, we demand that people be suspended when we believe there’s prima facie evidence of wrongdoing, either in a past job or whatever there is, as for example, with Minister Ntshavheni.”

She emphasised the need for careful and evidence-based decision-making in politics.

“We are very wary of being mindful that political hit squads in politics are not unusual,” Zille concluded.

NOW READ: Calls for Ntshavheni to step down after alleged ‘repugnant’ fraud, corruption