WESTERN CAPE – The City of Cape Town has lodged a formal intergovernmental dispute against the Acting National Police Minister over the refusal to expand Metro Police powers. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis made the announcement on Monday, 3 August 2026, at Bishop Lavis on the Cape Flats. Court action on the tableThe mayor set out a clear ultimatum: the minister must either agree to expand Metro Police powers to include criminal investigations, or the City will seek a legal remedy. Central to the proposal is the creation of a dedicated Cape Town Metro Police Detectives Unit, which Hill-Lewis described as a first for South Africa. It's about us helping get violent criminals off the street so that we can make Cape Town safer," he said.