Cape Town Safety and Security Mayco member JP Smith has threatened legal action against Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie after the national minister made claims linking him to organised crime.
The latest political dispute follows testimony at the Madlanga Commission, where National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams alleged that Smith was implicated in a plot to have him killed.
Smith has rejected Adams’s allegations and is now also challenging claims made by McKenzie in a video clip that has circulated widely on social media.
McKenzie claimed that a senior member of the 28s gang had contacted him with information about Smith. He further claimed that Smith had previously worked for slain alleged underworld figure Mark Lifman.
The allegation has not been proven, and Smith has denied that he has any links to organised crime.
Smith responded in a statement posted on Facebook, accusing McKenzie of defamation and spreading misinformation.
“I take note that Gayton McKenzie has again attempted to defame me this evening and spread misinformation, like his colleague Fadiel Adams.
“They have nothing to offer residents in terms of actual solutions or strategies to make the lives better of people who are affected by violent crime, so they turn to lies.”
Smith said McKenzie had, to his knowledge, made a similar claim before about a high-ranking member of the 28s gang contacting him with information about Smith.
He questioned why a serving national minister would allegedly have repeated contact with gang members, particularly as Cape Town communities continue to deal with gang violence.
“That alone should be a concern to all South Africans: that a National Minister is acknowledging that he receives repeated calls from the very gangsters who are shooting our communities.
“The same gangsters who are shooting up our communities call him 'broer'. I hope the residents of Cape Town are taking note.”
Commission Allegations
Smith’s confrontation with McKenzie comes days after Adams gave evidence at the Madlanga Commission about an alleged plot against his life.
Adams alleged that Smith used a newly elected councillor to approach a former gang leader in connection with the alleged plan. He claimed the former gang leader had been warned that City of Cape Town tenders could be cancelled because Adams had been asking questions and investigating matters.
Adams also alleged that more than one person had made statements under oath linking Smith to the alleged plot.
Smith has strongly denied the allegations and described them as baseless and unsupported. He said they repeated claims Adams had previously made in 2025.
The commission is examining testimony about allegations of political interference, criminal networks and the conduct of officials and political figures. The claims involving Smith remain allegations and have not resulted in a finding against him.
Smith has also criticised the involvement of police officials in matters involving him. He previously alleged that some officers took part in an unlawful and unconstitutional raid of his office.
He questioned how allegations were handled by officials in the Commercial Crimes Unit and raised concerns about claims that warrants could be obtained to satisfy political interests.
Smith said he welcomed Adams’s evidence because he believed it could expose wider problems relating to political interference in policing.
Smith Turns His Focus To The PA
Smith also responded to McKenzie’s criticism by pointing to claims previously made by a PA councillor about the daughter of alleged gangster Red Williams.
Smith said the woman was the PA’s secretary-general and used the issue to challenge McKenzie’s attempt to associate him with organised crime.
“It is laughable to think that Gayton McKenzie is trying so hard to link me to organised crime while the secretary-general of the Patriotic Alliance is the daughter of the notorious gangster Red Williams, the same daughter who was accused by a PA councillor of distributing narcotics to fund the Patriotic Alliance.”
The allegation about the PA secretary-general was previously made by a councillor and has not been established as fact. Smith’s statement repeated the accusation while linking it to his broader response to McKenzie.
The exchange has brought the political rivalry between the two men into the public spotlight at a time when both are speaking about violent crime and the role of the state in dealing with gangs.
Smith is a senior figure in Cape Town’s safety and security structure, while McKenzie serves as a national minister and leads the PA, a party that has built much of its political support in parts of the Western Cape.
Their dispute is now centred on the source and credibility of the claims being made about Smith’s alleged relationships with criminal figures.
Legal Threat Follows Social-Media Video
@openfilesa Gayton McKenzie says a high-ranking 28s member contacted him with information about JP Smith. 👀 JP Smith has now fired back, saying South Africans should be concerned that a National Minister is allegedly receiving calls from gang members. Fair concern from JP Smith or is this just another round in the political battle between the PA and DA? 👀 #GaytonMcKenzie #JPSmith #PatrioticAlliance #DA #CapeTown ♬ original sound – Open File SA 🇿🇦
Smith’s threat of legal action raises the possibility of a formal legal challenge if McKenzie repeats or expands on the allegations.
No details of the proposed legal proceedings have been made public, and it is not clear whether court papers have been filed.
For now, the claims remain part of a public political dispute involving statements made on social media and evidence presented to the Madlanga Commission.
Smith has maintained that McKenzie and Adams have not provided legitimate solutions for residents affected by violent crime and have instead resorted to attacks on his reputation.
McKenzie’s claims about information allegedly provided by a 28s gang member have also prompted questions from Smith about the minister’s contact with members of a group associated with violence in Cape Town.
Smith’s response suggests that the dispute will not be limited to the original allegation. By referring to the PA secretary-general and previous accusations involving her, he has widened the confrontation to include the party’s internal leadership and its own alleged links to criminal figures.
The competing claims have not been resolved. Smith denies being connected to organised crime and rejects the allegation that he was involved in a plot against Adams. McKenzie’s claims about Smith’s alleged past association with Lifman remain disputed.
The Madlanga Commission continues to hear evidence, while Smith has indicated that he is considering legal steps over the latest statements.
No finding has been made against Smith in connection with the allegations, and no arrest or criminal charge against him has been reported in relation to the claims described in the dispute.
