Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith personally joined a Metro Police Neighbourhood Safety Officers operation in Parklands last night, responding to mounting drug-related complaints from residents — and left with nine arrests and several impounded vehicles.

The operation comes against the backdrop of 133 drug-related crimes recorded in the area between January and March this year, according to the latest available crime statistics.

“In Cape Town you will often find ‘crypto’ and ‘forex’ traders driving fancy cars with fake registrations or none at all,” said Hill-Lewis in a video posted to his social media pages in an apparent reference to drug dealers operating in the area.

“Tonight we impounded cars in Parklands without valid registrations,” he said. “In one case, a brand new silver Merc GLE was registered as a white BMW, now impounded for further criminal investigation.”

In the said video, while a car was being searched, Hill-Lewis confronts one man saying, “What are you really trading in? Because you are trading in something.”

Smith was equally direct, posting on his own social media: “You drive a R2.6 million vehicle, yet you’re supposedly ‘studying’ in South Africa. You paid cash. You can’t explain where the money came from or how you fund your lifestyle.”

The City confirmed that nine persons were arrested in terms of the Immigration Act, and two cars were impounded while the matter was handed to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation and action.

Referring to illegal immigration — a concern raised by Parklands residents — Smith said the City participates in ongoing multi-agency operations and that Metro Police plays a supportive role to SAPS and the Department of Home Affairs, which are the lead agencies in this regard. When officers encounter undocumented foreign nationals, he said, they are handed over to the relevant agencies for further investigation and processing.

‘A substantial failure of crime intelligence’

Smith did not mince his words about what the operation revealed. “Clearly there is a substantial failure of crime intelligence and meaningful investigation,” he said, adding that the City would pursue the matter further, starting with vehicle impoundments and charging persons for fraudulent licences.

When asked whether there were operational plans in place to address drug dealing in Parklands, Smith told TygerBurger that the City’s enforcement agencies conduct ongoing operations, either autonomously or in conjunction with SAPS.

“The interventions include roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and general proactive patrols, where resources allow,” he said, adding that while the City had increased its resources in recent years, they remained a fraction of those available to SAPS.

Smith also confirmed that engaging the acting police commissioner about cooperation in addressing Parklands’ drug problem was firmly on the agenda. “This is definitely on the list,” he said.

Metro Police detectives unit announced

Hill-Lewis used the operation to announce plans to establish a dedicated Cape Town Metro Police Detectives Unit, a move aimed at strengthening local investigative capacity.

“South Africa needs stronger policing, that’s why we need to investigate crimes ourselves,” he said.

Smith noted that South Africa’s Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) already provides powerful tools to investigate money laundering, drug trafficking and asset forfeiture, but that following the money trail requires skilled investigators, that the national police service, overwhelmed by violent crime dockets, simply does not have enough of.

“South Africa already has robust legislation. The problem isn’t always a lack of laws—it’s a lack of capacity to enforce them.”

“Unfortunately, our detectives in the national police service are already overwhelmed by mountains of case dockets involving violent crime, gang violence, murder and firearm offences. Financial investigations are complex and resource-intensive, and too often they don’t receive the attention they deserve.” he said.

“Criminals should not be able to hide behind an overburdened criminal justice system,” he said. “If we are serious about tackling organised crime, we must not only arrest offenders, we must follow the money, dismantle their criminal enterprises and deprive them of the profits that fuel further crime.”

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According to Smith, the solution had already been proposed: empower competent municipalities with the legal authority to conduct investigations into offences within their mandate and compile court-ready dockets. Municipal enforcement agencies, he argued, had demonstrated the expertise, technology and commitment to make a meaningful contribution.

Shared responsibility

Acting Western Cape Police Commissioner Major General Luyanda Damoyi told TygerBurger that the police appreciates the City’s involvement, saying the operation was aligned with the existing cooperation agreement between SAPS, the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government.

“This partnership is founded on a shared responsibility to create safer communities and to combat criminality through a coordinated approach.”

“SAPS is aware of the drug-related challenges in the Parklands area and has various intelligence-driven operational interventions in place to address them,” said Damoyi, adding that these operations regularly result in arrests, drug confiscations and the disruption of criminal activities.

He pushed back gently on Smith’s comments about intelligence failures, saying it would be inappropriate to publicly discuss operational methodologies as doing so could compromise ongoing policing efforts.

“However, SAPS remains committed to identifying and apprehending those involved in the drug trade and related crimes. As operational successes are achieved, SAPS continues to inform the public through media statements and other communication platforms. The organisation remains committed to working with all law enforcement partners to enhance safety and security in Parklands and across the Western Cape.”