Akani Nkuna
The offices of two Mayoral Committee members in Cape Town were raided on Friday by the Police Commercial Crimes Unit during a search and seizure operation as part of an investigation into suspected housing tender irregularities and corruption within the city’s construction sector.
The offices raided were that of mayoral committee members, Alderman JP Smith, the MMC for Safety and Security, and Xanthea Limberg, the MMC for Water and Sanitation.
Police spokesperson Colonel André Traut said that the operation is linked to ongoing forensic investigations related to a court case involving multiple municipal officials and business owners facing charges.
The investigation focuses on alleged tender fraud amounting to over a billion rand within the City of Cape Town municipality.
“Further investigations into tender fraud in the construction sector within the City of Cape Town municipality have seen Western Cape SAPS Provincial Commercial Crimes investigators descending on the Municipality’s offices in Cape Town this morning. Their presence is part of forensic investigations which emanate from a case that is running before courts. Several municipal officials and business owners are facing a myriad of charges that relate to the same investigation,” said Traut.
Traut urged the need for space to conduct the investigation effectively and cautioned against premature speculation regarding potential arrests or details of the ongoing probe.
“Whether the investigations the commercial crimes detective team is embarking upon now, will lead to arrests, remains to be seen. As of now, no one has been arrested. 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,” said Traut.
“It would be out of norm for SAPS investigators to discuss pertinent details of their investigations. Currently, focus is on presenting a strong case before court.”
Authorities are intensifying efforts to determine whether any unlawful activities took place and to hold accountable those involved in the suspected fraudulent practices within the construction sector.
This comes after fraud charges were filed against Malusi Booi, the former DA Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, and others, in connection with tenders worth over R1 billion.
The DA In the Western Cape has confirmed the raid and stated that, due to the limited information currently available, it will postpone releasing a detailed statement until further details about the investigation are revealed.
“However, we are aware that no arrests have been made. We will monitor the situation closely and await further developments,” said DA Western Cape leader, Tertuis Simmers.
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said: “I note the raid by authorities at the offices of Mayoral Committee members JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg, who have informed me they’ve offered full cooperation to the SAPS but have not been made aware of the specific allegations at this stage.”
“I’ve requested an urgent briefing from SAPS to understand the details of this matter and will determine the necessary further actions once this has been received.”
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) accused the DA-led Cape Town municipality of being entangled in a deeply rooted and systemic network of corruption, particularly within the housing and construction sectors.
The EFF said that this alleged corruption is especially troubling given Cape Town’s ongoing housing shortages and infrastructure challenges.
The red berets also pointed to the persistent issues caused by the “construction mafia” and extortion schemes plaguing the sector.
EFF National spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said: “The DA’s administration has not only failed to provide leadership in addressing this crisis but has seemingly facilitated criminality and collusion at the expense of the people it claims to serve.”
GOOD Party Secretary-General Brett Herron expressed shock following the Western Cape SAPS Provincial Commercial Crimes Unit’s raid on the municipality’s offices.
Herron reiterated the party’s position that no one is above the law and called on the mayor and his officials to fully cooperate with the investigation.
“If the investigation involves City matters or corruption, then they cannot remain in office. Their continued presence could either impede the investigation or create the perception of interference. The logical and consistent course of action is to suspend them immediately,” Herron said.
Inside Metros reached out to Smith for comment, but he was unavailable at the time of publication.
INSIDE METROS