DA leader John Steenhuisen. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
DA leader John Steenhuisen said the saga involving two City of Cape Town’s members of mayoral committee (MMCs) will be dealt with by his party with incredible seriousness and diligently as done with others.
Addressing the media in Cape Town on Saturday, Steenhuisen said he was alerted to the raid at the offices of safety and security MMC JP Smith and energy MMC Xanthea Limberg on Friday evening while in transit back from Davos.
“I was in London. I was sent a very brief message from mayor (Geordin) Hill-Lewis that the Hawks had undertaken a raid at Smith and Limberg’s offices yesterday.
“He informed me he has asked for a full briefing from the SAPS on the nature of the raid and the investigation.
“Once he has received that, he will be able to brief me fully and he will be able to make a definitive statement going forward,” he said.
Steenhuisen, however, said in instances of wrong-doing involving DA public representatives have been raised, the party moved in all cases to suspend, and in many cases removed the affected public representatives once matters reached the substantive phase and there was prima facie evidence of wrong-doing.
“I want to assure you with this matter, once facts have emerged (and) once prima facie evidence is on the table, we will have a more determined way about how we proceed going forward.
“At the moment, it remains speculation, but it is a matter I am certainly watching closely and it’s a matter the party will deal with incredibly seriously and diligently as it has always done in cases of this matter,” he said.
There is now pressure on Hill-Lewis to suspend Smith and Limberg while the investigation is under way.
Smith has said he was tipped off about the raid, which he described as a smear campaign by some political actors that have mobilised a political “it-squad” against him.
“I was alerted to this some months ago and some of you will have noticed from posts on social media that some politicians appear to be receiving ‘briefings’ or are involving themselves in what should clearly be a protected police investigation.
“Apart from these tell-tale warning signs, I have been reliably informed that senior ANC politicians have been briefed by members in SAPS.
“In addition, a concerned person has sent me recordings of conversations that, even just at face value, reveal a political conspiracy against me by political office-bearers, a private security company, and possibly that of members in SAPS, yet undetermined if these are past employees or still serving in SAPS today,” he said in a long statement.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za