WES-KAAP. – Die deursoeking wat by JP Smith se kantoor gedoen is, is Donderdag deur die Wes-Kaapse Hooggeregshof as onwettig, ongrondwetlik en ongeldig verklaar.
Die bevel volg op ’n litigasie wat Smith in April teen die SAPD se kommersiële misdaadeenheid en die nasionale minister van polisie ingedien het. Sedert die deursoeking op 24 Januarie het Smith sy onskuld volgehou en gesê die aksie was deel van ’n lasterveldtog teen hom. Die hof het ook bepaal dat alle toestelle waarop beslag gelê is, teruggegee moet word en dat die minister van polisie al die regskoste sal dra.
Smith het bevestig dat die stadsveiligheid- en sekuriteitsinligtingseenhede (SSIU en SSIMS) steeds hul werk sal voortsit om die stad en inwoners te beskerm.
Lees Smith se volledige verklaring wat gister (Donderdagaand) uitgereik is, hier onder:
Statement By Alderman JP Smith
<2025/09/11 – 19h20>
Today the Western Cape High Court has issued an order declaring the raid on my office as unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid. This follows the litigation application I filed against the SAPS Commercial Crimes Unit and the National Minister of Police in April this year.
I have steadfastly maintained my innocence since the raid on my office on 24 January 2025 and always believed this was the result of a calculated smear campaign against me.
For nearly two decades I have worked diligently to build the Safety and Security Directorate of the City of Cape Town, to not only do our own job better, but increasingly support SAPS in doing theirs, which includes targeting the heads of criminal gangs and syndicates as opposed to only responding to street level crimes. And while Cape Town has taken steps to protect itself, I fear for other cities who have not built their own investigative capacity to defend themselves.
Our investigations have led to detecting and blocking syndicates in Cape Town which also resulted in the National Treasury blacklisting individuals and companies, barring them from obtaining government tenders across South Africa.
I believe this is the motivation behind the smear campaign – to hamstring the City’s investigations.
When the City started arresting hundreds of drug dealers and gangsters with illegal firearms, it caused little interest in our activity. It was only when the impact of these investigations was felt by the heads of these syndicates, that the attacks turned personal.
Over the years I was informed by SAPS and other agencies of several threats to my personal safety. When these did not discourage me, the attacks were turned against my reputation and that of the City.
The same attacks were launched against the City Safety and Security Investigations Unit (SSIU) and Safety and Security Information Management Services (SSIMS) when they were labelled the “rogue unit” by the former National Police Minister Bheki Cele and some of his proxies.
The recent allegations pertaining to Minister Senzo Mchunu suggest the increasing weaponisation of the criminal justice system against political opponents.
I purposefully did not comment on the claims made by General Mkhwanazi as I could not confidently know the facts of the matter.
Two things, however, rang true:
Firstly, that a member of the national assembly had been given confidential police documents as part of a political smear campaign.
Secondly, the claims that Minister Mchunu had been briefed on criminal cases sounded familiar, as I know for a fact that he had been briefed on the plans to search my office.
When you do the right thing and you know the claims are false, you cannot wonder about the motives of all those who eagerly fabricated or fanned these rumours. This includes some members of the media who published dubious “analysis” pieces fanning these conspiracies. Those who thought that my departure, in any way, would stop the City’s investigative capacity, need to be disabused of this notion. The SSIU and SSIMS are now well established and are going to continue their work to protect the City and our citizens.
The court has also ordered that all devices seized be returned and the Minister will now be required to pay all legal costs.
I would like to thank everybody who supported and believed in me. It meant more than you would know.
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