Smith, Limberg cannot remain in office while they're under investigation, say opposition parties
JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg’s offices at the City of Cape Town's Civic Centre were raided by SAPS commercial crimes investigators on Friday.
JP Smith / Facebook: JP Smith
CAPE TOWN - Opposition parties in the City of Cape Town say that mayoral committee members, JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg, cannot remain in office while they’re under investigation for alleged tender fraud.
Smith and Limberg’s offices at the City of Cape Town's Civic Centre were raided by SAPS commercial crimes investigators on Friday.
Police have confirmed the probe is related to further investigations into tender fraud in the construction sector. They say the raid is part of forensic investigations linked to a case that's already before the courts and implicates municipal officials and business owners. KYM
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) January 24, 2025
The Good Party's secretary-general, Brett Herron, said that further delays in suspending the two MMCs would ruin the credibility of the local administration.
"The City of Cape Town and the administration, they need to come clean to the people of Cape Town and to be transparent about these investigations. It is very difficult to believe that the administration, the mayor were unaware that two members of the mayoral committee were under investigation."
GOOD Party SG Brett Herron is calling for transparency in the investigations taking place in the offices of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Mmebers, JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg. Herron says CT mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis should immediately suspend the two MMC’s - @ietskaylo pic.twitter.com/sOHIc1MYFP
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) January 24, 2025
Meanwhile, ANC's caucus leader in the city, Banele Majingo, said he was deeply concerned about continuing raids on council members at the city.
"It's not the first time that the raid is taking place here. It means where there's smoke, there's fire. So we are saying that the mayor and the members concerned must take a decision about themselves and the mayor must be decisive in this case."