DA leader John Steenhuisen has vowed that his party will take action against its Cape Town safety & security MMC JP Smith if evidence emerges of wrongdoing.
The police commercial crimes unit in the Western Cape raided the offices of Smith and fellow-DA MMC Xanthea Limberg in the city’s civic centre on Friday.
The raid formed part of a Hawks investigation into allegations of multimillion-rand corruption and fraud involving construction tenders, in connection with which DA human settlements MMC Malusi Booi was arrested last year.
Wherever instances of wrongdoing have been raised, once it has reached the substantive stage the DA has moved in all cases
— John Steenhuisen, DA leader
Booi, accused in the same case as alleged gang leader Ralph Stanfield, has been suspended by the DA.
Steenhuisen told reporters yesterday he had been told of the raids on Smith and Limberg, MMC for energy, while returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Steenhuisen said Smith, who is a DA deputy federal chair, had not been asked to step aside because no charges had been brought, but action would be taken if the police provided prima facie evidence.
“Wherever instances of wrongdoing against public representatives of the DA have been raised, once it has reached the substantive stage and there’s prima facie evidence of wrongdoing, the DA has moved in all cases,” the DA leader said.
“We’ve suspended and in many cases removed public representatives.
“And I want to assure you that, even in this matter, once the facts have emerged, once the prima facie evidence is obtained, we will be able to determine how we proceed going forward,” Steenhuisen said.
“At the moment it remains speculation but it is matter I will be watching closely. It’s a matter which the party will deal with credibly, seriously and diligently, as we have always done in cases of this nature.”
Party federal council chair Helen Zille on Friday posted on X that the DA was in the process of obtaining “facts” around the raid.
“We don’t even know whether he will be charged, what the charge might be, or whether there is any evidence to back it up. When a man has made such enemies of crooks, gangsters and some senior SAPS members, we exercise judgment and get the facts. That is what we are doing now,” she wrote.
Booi, now out on bail of R250,000, was arrested with former City of Cape Town director of public housing Siphokazi September and eight others.
Smith, who is known as a strict enforcer of the law in the city, described the police raid on his office as politically motivated and said corrupt police officers were colluding with ANC leaders to tarnish his name.
“From the outset, I stated that I was committed to co-operate fully with any investigations or inquiries, and would immediately hand over any electronic storage devices or records for the purpose of any investigation, where and when requested,” he said in a statement.
“Added to this, I had already sought advice on the manner in which to proceed, from legal counsel.
“My attorney also approached SAPS to get clarity and to formally place my willingness to co-operate on record. In response, various persons in SAPS repeatedly assured my attorney and myself that SAPS ‘did not act on rumours’ and that my attorney would be contacted should SAPS wish to talk to myself.”
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