Geordin Hill-Lewis Lodges Intergovernmental Dispute Against Police Minister Over Metro Police Powers

• Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has discussed the City of Cape Town's push for greater powers for the Metro Police
• The Democratic Alliance leader noted that he has raised the issue in the past with three Ministers of Police
• Hill-Lewis indicated what the City would do if Acting Police Minister Professor Cachalia did not assist with their appeal

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

WESTERN CAPE – The City of Cape Town has lodged a formal intergovernmental dispute against the Acting National Police Minister over the refusal to expand Metro Police powers.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis made the announcement on Monday, 3 August 2026, at Bishop Lavis on the Cape Flats.

The announcement signals a significant hardening of the City's position after years of failed engagement at a ministerial level.

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Three ministers and no progress

Speaking about the decision, Hill-Lewis stated that he had raised the matter with three successive police ministers, all of whom expressed verbal support but delivered no tangible outcomes.

"All three of those ministers have said nice things and said they support it and that it'll happen in time, but nothing has happened, just zero actual progress," he said.

The Cape Flats, where the announcement was made, has long been one of the city's most violent areas, and the site underscores the urgency driving the City's position.

Court action on the table

The mayor set out a clear ultimatum: the minister must either agree to expand Metro Police powers to include criminal investigations, or the City will seek a legal remedy. "He must either agree to do that, or we will go to court," Hill-Lewis said.

Central to the proposal is the creation of a dedicated Cape Town Metro Police Detectives Unit, which Hill-Lewis described as a first for South Africa. He was careful to frame the move as supplementary rather than a displacement of the South African Police Service.

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"This is not about us taking over the job from SAPS. It's about us helping get violent criminals off the street so that we can make Cape Town safer," he said.

Source: Briefly News