Geordin Hill-Lewis Slams Firoz Cachalia Over Delay in Granting Metro Police Greater Powers

• Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has taken issue with Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia
• The Democratic Alliance leader previously lodged a formal intergovernmental dispute against the acting minister
• The Cape Town Mayor has now indicated what the next steps are that he would take to get something done

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 — Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has publicly accused Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia of deliberately stalling on granting Metro Police expanded powers to investigate gang, gun and drug-related crime in the city.

Hill-Lewis, who is the leader of the Democratic Alliance, filed a formal intergovernmental dispute against Professor Cachalia last month, requesting structured talks on whether Metro Police should be given investigative authority.

Read also

Tebogo Malaka: Former IDT CEO not arrested or prosecuted one year after alleged bribe attempt

Despite a legal obligation to engage with the city over the dispute, the Mayor said Cachalia had not responded for close to a month.

Hill-Lewis calls for urgent action

Frustrated by the silence, Hill-Lewis proposed new dates for an online meeting, framing it as a last attempt to resolve the standoff before turning to the courts.

"Investigative powers for Metro Police are urgent for the sake of communities living in daily fear of daily gang and gun crime. We must make full use of all policing resources in Cape Town," he said.

The Cape Town Mayor argued that Metro Police officers are already trained and equipped to take on specific investigative functions, while the South African Police Service is operating under severe resource constraints in the Western Cape.

Cachalia cites need for cross-party support

The Acting Police Minister, while addressing Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee, said he remained open-minded about the prospect of expanding Metro Police powers. However, he told the committee that any such move would require broad cross-party consensus before it could proceed.

Read also

DA Accuses Gayton McKenzie of Cadre Deployment After Probe Finds 19 Politically Connected Appointees

Hill-Lewis rejected that position, insisting the minister should not allow the search for political consensus to delay action that communities urgently need.

Hill-Lewis wants a permanent Police Minister appointed

Briefly News also highlighted facts about Hill-Lewis's demand for a full-time Police Minister during an anti-crime march in Gqeberha.

The Cape Town Mayor stressed the need for consistent leadership in tackling South Africa's rising crime rates.

Hill-Lewis's call for a permanent minister raises critical questions about public safety and the allocation of resources in law enforcement.

Source: Briefly News