Ntuthuzelo Nene28 January 2025 | 14:56

Zille backs Hill-Lewis to make right decision regarding CoCT MMCs Smith, Limberg

JP Smith, who heads up the safety and security directorate, and Xanthea Limberg, who is the Energy MMC, had their offices raided by the Hawks last week Friday.

Zille backs Hill-Lewis to make right decision regarding CoCT MMCs Smith, Limberg

Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, addressed a media briefing on 28 January 2025. Picture: Thabiso Goba/EWN

CAPE TOWN - Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, said she had faith in Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to make the right decision regarding two of his mayoral committee members, JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg.
 
Smith, who heads up the safety and security directorate, and Limberg, who is the Energy MMC, had their offices raided by the Hawks last week Friday.
 
The raid is in relation to the tender fraud case in the construction sector that is already before courts involving former Human Settlement MMC, Malusi Booi.

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The mayor has been criticised for not moving quickly enough to suspend Smith and Limberg, as he did to Booi and other councillors who've had a dark cloud over their heads.
 
When Booi's office was raided in March 2023 on suspicion of corruption, Hill-Lewis suspended him the next day and fired him a week later.

Zille said that in Booi's case, the mayor acted on prima facie evidence provided to him by the police, which proved that Booi had a serious case to answer to.
 
Zille has asked for cool heads, saying the mayor was treating the situation no differently to Booi's situation.
 
"And he says before he takes a decision to suspend, he has to check whether this is a political hit squad or whether there’s something genuine. He then says give a briefing on the prima facie evidence that still has to be tested in court, but I, as a responsible mayor, have to see if he's got a genuine case to answer."
 
Mayor Hill-Lewis has requested a meeting with the South African Police Service, to get to the bottom of the recent raid before making any decision.