Latest news with #GeordinHillLewis
News24
28-05-2025
- General
- News24
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis survives first motion of no confidence
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has survived his first motion of no confidence. The motion was tabled by the National Coloured Congress (NCC) during a full council sitting on Wednesday. The party accused Hill-Lewis of 'abuse of power, lack of professionalism, and failure to fulfil the responsibilities expected of the City's highest office'. The vote was conducted via open ballot. The motion was defeated, with 138 councillors voting against it, 46 in favour, and one abstention.
The Herald
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Where should we draw the line between free speech and threats when criticising the government?
A 28-year-old man has been arrested in Germiston, Gauteng, for allegedly threatening President Cyril Ramaphosa, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and a Cape Town-based company CEO. According to the Hawks' crimes against the state unit, the suspect allegedly sent a voice note and multiple threatening messages targeting the three individuals and the CEO's family. The arrest was carried out on Friday and the suspect is being transported to Cape Town, where he is expected to appear in court on Monday on a charge of intimidation. The case has sparked a national debate: when does criticism of government turn into a criminal threat? In a democracy freedom of speech is vital — but does it have limits?
The Herald
24-05-2025
- The Herald
Suspect to appear in court for threats against president and Cape Town mayor
A 28-year-old suspect was arrested in Germiston, Gauteng, for allegedly threatening President Cyril Ramaphosa, Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and a company CEO. Western Cape Hawks spokesperson Brig Thandi Mbambo said the Hawks' Crime Against The State (CATS) unit made the arrest on Friday. 'On Monday May 12, a complainant, who is the CEO of a Cape Town-based company, allegedly received a voice message from the suspect, in which threats were made against the president. The suspect is also alleged to have sent multiple threatening messages targeting the complainant, her family and the mayor of Cape Town.' The suspect is being transported to Cape Town and is expected to appear in court on Monday where he will face a charge of intimidation. TimesLIVE
The Herald
07-05-2025
- The Herald
Mayor Hill-Lewis condemns bomb threat against Cape Town mosque
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said on Wednesday his office had been in contact with the police to investigate a case of intimidation related to a bomb threat message received via cellphone against the Al-Azhar Mosque in District Six. ' I condemn the sinister motives behind this threatening message. Cape Town is a city of peace-loving people, where differences of faith and opinion are expressed loudly and fully, but always peacefully,' said Hill-Lewis. 'Our city has a long and proud history of being a safe city for people of all religions to live [in] and express their faith and traditions. For generations, Capetonians of every faith and creed have lived side-by-side and always show kindness, unity and generosity towards one another. Let us all commit to protecting and defending the best of that history.' Police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg said the incident occurred on May 4 and no arrests had been made. MMC for safety and security JP Smith said the city was supporting the investigation at the request of the police, which includes its safety and security investigative unit (SSIU). 'I have further referred this incident to disaster risk management (DRM) and the SSIU in terms of our joint safer places of worship project,' said Smith. Hill-Lewis added this was the second such incident, after an explosive device was thrown over the front wall of the Jewish Community Centre on Hatfield Street in the CBD in December 2024. 'We call on the police to prioritise these investigations to ensure those responsible are brought to justice,' he said. TimesLIVE
Bloomberg
06-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Cape Town's Plan to Hike Municipal Levies Infuriates Homeowners
Plans by the authorities in Cape Town, South Africa's second-biggest city and main tourism hub, to raise municipal levies by as much as 30% from July has sparked a public outcry ahead of next year's local government elections. City Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis argues the increases, which link water and electricity charges to property valuations, are necessary to fund repairs of old water and sewage pipelines and build new ones, and pay for more than 500 additional security officers and cleaning services.
