Jp Smith Has Enemies In Saps, Helen Zille Says After Cape Town Raid

Democratic Alliance DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille has suggested that Cape Towns mayoral committee member MMC for Safety and Security, JP Smith, has enemies in the South African Police Service SAPS.

This follows a raid by members of the SAPS Western Cape Commercial Crimes Unit in the offices of Smith and Energy MMC Xanthea Limberg on Friday 25 January.

SAPS spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut said the raid was linked to charges facing several municipal officials and business owners.

As of now, no one has been arrested. Suffice it to say, 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, he added.

In a reply on X on Friday, Zille came to Smiths defence, alleging that he has made enemies. We do not even know whether he will be charged, what the charge might be, or whether there is any evidence to back it up, she wrote.

When a man has made such enemies of crooks, gangsters and some senior SAPS members, we exercise judgement and get the facts. That is what we are now doing.

Smith has also claimed SAPS members may be involved in an what he calls a smear campaign against him.

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 in a statement on Friday.

Apart from these tell-tale warning signs, I have been reliably informed that senior ANC African National Congress politicians have been briefed by members within SAPS.

In addition, a concerned person has sent me recordings of conversations that, even just at face value, reveals 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 still today.