The Bonteheuwel community objected to the presence of councillors JP Smith and Angus Mckenzie at their meeting with police minister Bheki Cele. The meeting was arranged after members of the Bonteheuwel community as well as activists in the Total Shutdown movement clashed during protests in recent days.

Henriette Abrahams of the Bonteheuwel Community Forum asked that Smith and Mckenzie leave the meeting. Bheki Cele supported the request by saying that his office had accepted the invitation from the community.

There has been ongoing disputes between the community and Smith and Mckenzie. Smith is the City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for safety and security and Mckenzie is the ward councillor for Bonteheuwel. Smith and Mckenzie are Democratic Alliance councillors whereas Bheki Cele is the national police minister under the control of the African National Congress.