“I have been tipped off that some political actors have been working on a smear campaign,” are the words of Alderman JP Smith as news of the raid at his municipal offices and that of Xanthea Limberg made headlines on Friday.
The provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut said the raid was part of further investigations into the tender fraud matter in the construction sector within the City of Cape Town.
In a statement released, Smith made damning claims of a smear campaign against him.
“I have always found it disingenuous when people who are the subject of police investigation, claim it is ‘politically motivated.’ There are many good people in SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) who have great integrity and would not allow themselves to be abused for political purposes. I have been tipped off that some political actors have been working on a smear campaign and have mobilised a political ‘hit squad’ against me,” he said.
Smith said he was alerted months back about some politicians receiving ‘briefings’ or involving themselves in a protected police investigation.
He also claimed he has been informed that senior ANC members have been briefed by members within the SAPS.
“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 within SAPS, yet undetermined at this stage if these are past employees or still serving within SAPS today,” Smith said.
He said one of the sources indicated they obtained it from members of the police who are concerned about evidence being manufactured and actions taken by some of the people featured in said recordings.
“While some of these persons have already been identified, and in what the source called a ‘frame-up’ an individual featured on the recording described the reason for me being targeted simply because I ‘stood in the way of too much’,” Smith said.
He described parts of the recording as ‘quite alarming’ and suggested illegal and deeply unethical behaviour by the people involved which he stated clearly outlined the intention of character assassination.
“In this context, the search of my office appears to be a calculated element of the proposed attack, not to find something that should hopefully implicate me in any way, but simply because they know it will create an opening through which they can drip the slow poison of doubt over me, along with unsubstantiated allegations intended to be drawn over a long period, for maximum effect,” Smith said.
The recording suggests criminal behaviour which included that the planning meetings are facilitated along with national ministers and where money or ‘payment’ is discussed.
“Having taken advice from a forensic specialist on the recordings, I have laid charges with the Federal Legal Commission (FLC) of the Democratic Alliance (DA), against one of the councillors already identified within some of the recordings,” he said.
“It is my intention to engage SAPS on these recordings and share them with the investigators when given the opportunity after my attorney has already and repeatedly in the past few weeks approached SAPS with such a request,” Smith said.
Smith said he also reported his concerns to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, as well as the Speaker of the council, party leadership after which the speaker wrote to the NPA and SAPS asking them to confirm or deny the rumours.
“From the outset, I also stated that I was committed to cooperate 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.
Smith also sought advice from his legal counsel.
“My attorney also approached SAPS to get clarity and to formally place my willingness to cooperate 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 me.”
He said it appeared that some in SAPS are determined to enable this smear campaign, rather than pursuing an effective investigation to ensure any credible form of evidence.
“The source of the recordings also informed me that the individual in the police who supplied the evidence stated that the originators of this investigation did not believe they would secure any type of conviction outcome from such investigative action, but that their purpose was to initiate a ‘trial by media’ and seek to disgrace me publicly,” Smith said.
He said this fact appears to be supported by the numerous political leaks which indicated either political involvement in the investigation or that information is being shared with political office bearers for the sake of maximising the media impact and resulting in a negative public perception.
“Examples of this include an EFF councillor asking the mayor at a council meeting whether he is ‘aware of a criminal investigation against me’. It is therefore clear that this information was deliberately passed on to the EFF councillor to initiate this smear campaign.
“These allegations have also surfaced in constant social media posts by other smaller, often contentious, opposition parties. A few weeks ago, the DA themselves even received a media query from an ANC-linked journalist on the matter.”
On this basis, Smith said it was not unreasonable to deduce that a political agenda and actions were afoot.
“If this is true, it would leave me very saddened that certain people within SAPS are allowing themselves to be used by politicians for this attempt of “trial by media.” I am, however, confident, that when accurate information is on record, SAPS will be able to determine that any affidavit supplied to them was done with malicious intention and is false,” he said.
“I want to reassure residents of Cape Town that I will work to clear my name and that in the meantime I will continue to focus on what matters: public safety and the work of the city and will not allow myself to be distracted,” Smith said.
He further suspected this smear campaign was being done by political opponents in an attempt to paralyse his role as DA chairperson in the Cape Town Metro.
“This will not distract me from the local government elections in 2026 as I clear my name. It remains imperative that the DA retains Cape Town and keeps it from scheming and corrupt political parties who collude and connive and are even referred to as ‘gangsters’ in these recordings by persons featured,” Smith stated.
He said he will continue to fulfill the mandate of the Safety and Security Directorate by fighting crime, even if it means he is subjected to continuous threats and will continue assisting the SAPS and NPA.
“Despite this unfolding saga, I remain idealistic enough to believe that truth will prevail. I will certainly persevere until it does. And I will continue my work and the mission we have already started,” Smith added.
IOL