A Magistrates Court has dismissed, with costs, a protection order application that accused Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis of abusing his power. Hill-Lewis welcomed the ruling after the court found the case had no merit.

In a City of Cape Town statement, the mayor said the application was “dismissed with costs”. The magistrate found it was “completely without merit” and “intentionally delayed by the applicant”, with multiple postponements over about ten months.

Magistrate Criticises Conduct in Court

The magistrate also took aim at how the matter was handled, criticising the conduct of the applicant and the applicant’s attorney. The court said the case amounted to “a regrettable waste” of the court’s time and resources.

That kind of finding matters. A costs order is not just a slap on the wrist. It signals the court felt the application should not have dragged on the way it did.

How the Dispute Started

According to the City, the dispute began after an incident last year when Hill-Lewis witnessed and reported a land-use violation. The City linked this to an illegal car repair business allegedly operating from a residential property in Bothasig.

The City said all residents, including the mayor, have a responsibility to report wrongdoing when they see it, framing this as part of building a safer Cape Town based on the rule of law. It described the protection order application as an attempt to evade accountability after the report was made,

City to Pursue Costs

Despite being notified of the court date in advance, the applicant and the applicant’s legal representative were not present when the matter was argued. The case was struck off and costs were awarded against the applicant.

The City confirmed it will now pursue those costs. With the magistrate finding no basis for the allegations, the legal process has come to an end.