ANC MP in hot water after calling for Cape Town's JP Smith to be 'dealt with'
Image: Trevor Samson
ANC MP Faiez Jacobs' comments in a community WhatsApp group have left the City of Cape Town hot under the collar.
Now council speaker Dirk Smit intends to report Jacobs to the police for comments allegedly calling for senior DA councillor JP Smith, responsible for safety and security, to be “dealt with”.
In a statement on Friday, Smit said he had been informed that Jacobs had made inappropriate remarks about Smith on the social media platform.
Smit said he took the allegations seriously and he would escalate the complaint to Western Cape police commissioner Lt-Gen Yolisa Matakata if Jacobs does not explain himself.
“I have today been informed of comments made by a member of the National Assembly, Mr Faiez Jacobs MP, posted on a Bonteheuwel community WhatsApp group and wherein he purportedly stated that ‘JP must be dealt with!’ and that a ‘Show down (sic) is coming!’
“Both of these comments were allegedly being made in reference to not only a councillor of the City of Cape Town council, but also the mayoral committee member for safety & security, alderman JP Smith,” said Smit.
“It is not only wholly inappropriate for a member of national parliament to make such comments on a social media platform, but even more so when such comments are being made to attack and seemingly threaten a city councillor who is simply exercising his statutory duties.”
Smit added: “Moreover, as city speaker and council chairperson, one of my primary concerns is the safety and security of all of our councillors and I accordingly call on Mr Jacobs MP to unequivocally clarify what he meant when he stated that Ald. Smith ‘must be dealt with’.
“Otherwise I will be referring the matter to the Western Cape police commissioner for investigation, as is the standard procedure when any threats are made against any of our councillors.”
Jacobs said Smit will not get a response from him and that he “will not be silenced”. He admitted that he is part of the Bonteheuwel WhatsApp group but denied making the comments attributed to him.
“I am on holiday, therefore I am not going to respond to frivolous accusations,” said Jacobs.
“But I will raise the plight of our people and expose the hypocrisy of the city. I won’t be silenced. As a Capetonian, I am disgusted by the type of leadership we have that continues to divide our people.”
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