Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has denied allegations linking him to drug syndicates following claims made by a convicted fraudster serving time in prison.
Jermaine Prim, an inmate at Johannesburg Correctional Centre, accused the Patriotic Alliance leader of having connections to criminal organisations during an exclusive telephonic interview with eNCA journalist Heidi Giokos.
The prisoner alleged that McKenzie and the Patriotic Alliance serve as proxies for what he termed “the Big 5” drug cartels, though he declined to reveal all names, claiming the information forms part of a police investigation.
“I can tell you that Gayton is definitely a proxy of the Big 5,” Prim said during the unauthorised prison call to the eNCA newsroom.
The Patriotic Alliance issued a strongly worded statement dismissing the allegations as “reckless, defamatory and categorically false”.
The party highlighted Prim’s criminal history, noting he is serving a sentence for fraud, scams and theft. Among his convictions is a charge for impersonating the head of the National Prosecuting Authority.
“This individual has a proven history of deception, impersonation and manipulation,” the statement read. “His credibility is not a matter of debate – it is totally absent.”
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McKenzie himself denied any relationship with Prim, stating he had never met the inmate and only spoke to him telephonically on one occasion. The minister called the drug dealing claims “far-fetched” and questioned whether proper permission was granted for the prison interview.
The Department of Correctional Services confirmed it did not receive an application from eNCA to interview Prim and has launched an investigation into possible protocol breaches. The unauthorised interview was conducted via a prison landline after Prim contacted the newsroom directly.
In January, Prim submitted a sworn affidavit to the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee, requesting his allegations be heard. The inmate had previously claimed to have met McKenzie on two occasions, including after the death of Nathaniel Julies in Eldorado Park.
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The allegations come as McKenzie faces separate legal challenges, with ActionSA MP Dereleen James having filed criminal charges against him for allegedly making threats during a Facebook Live broadcast.
The Patriotic Alliance has indicated it is considering legal action regarding the defamatory claims made against its leadership.
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