Cape Town mayor takes on one of her own

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has entered the ring to face off with mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith.

In a statement issued on Monday‚ De Lille said she had asked her lawyers about the “appropriate course of action” to take after Smith and members of the city’s Internal Investigations Unit allegedly made “malicious and defamatory remarks” about her.

“In the past week‚ various news articles have made reference to so-called ‘irregular’ security upgrades at my house done by a supplier appointed by the City following a risk analysis report by a special unit within the South African Police Service‚” she said.

De Lille claims she has proof that she paid for the renovations herself.

She hit out at Smith saying: “We all know that crime fighting is the responsibility of the police under national government. JP Smith wants to play cowboys and crooks by releasing all kinds of statements that the Metro Police is responsible for fighting crime.”

When contacted for comment‚ Smith said: “I’ve been asked by the [Democratic Alliance] party leadership not to respond.”