Cape Town – Sport, Art and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, who is also the leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), has refuted claims made by convicted fraudster Jermaine Prim that he deals in illicit drugs.
Prim made sensational claims during a telephonic interview with eNCA, in which he referred to a recording in which McKenzie is said to have received “drug money” from one Chinelle Stevens.
The convicted fraudster also claimed that while he was in prison, McKenzie gave him two phones and that he helped campaign for the PA.
Responding to the accusations on Sunday, 29 March 2026, the PA said in a statement that it “condemns in the strongest possible terms the reckless and defamatory allegations made by convicted fraudster Jermaine Prim during a recent media interview given from prison of all places”.
The PA said Prim is a convicted criminal currently serving a prison sentence for fraud, scams, and theft.
“His credibility is not a matter of debate – it is totally absent,” said the PA, adding that his claims “are categorically false”.
The PA added: “We therefore challenge Prim directly: produce credible, verifiable evidence to substantiate these allegations, or withdraw them in full”.
For its part, the Department of Correctional Services said it “strongly condemns the telephonic interview conducted between eNCA and offender Jermaine Prim at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre.”
The department added: “A full-scale investigation has been instituted to determine how this incident occurred.
“This engagement, conducted without the approval of the National Commissioner, represents a clear violation of established Standard Operating Procedures.”
Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said media houses are required to formally apply for permission to interview offenders, a process that ensures that security, legal processes, and victims’ rights are not compromised.
“No such application was received or approved.
“The extended and uninterrupted nature of the interview raises serious concerns about possible breaches of internal controls and whether unauthorised communication channels were used.
“The investigation will focus on establishing the method of communication and any lapses in compliance.”
Commenting on the matter, Minister McKenzie, who served prison time for bank robbery in the 90’s, said: “It has already been confirmed by the Department of Correctional Services that Prim did not follow proper channels.
“This reflects his old modus operandi.
“We have seen this before.
“Last year, we were subjected to the same abuse, through the same eNCA news channel, and the same journalist.
“No evidence was presented then, no evidence has emerged since then, and no new evidence has come to light even now.
“And yet they continue to run with this story as though there is anything worth reporting.”
The ongoing Madlanga Commission has heard witness testimony regarding the so-called Big Five, who are members of a drug cartel that has allegedly colluded with top police officers to evade arrest.
The PA leader, who denies any links to drug dealing, stated: “I do not know who this so-called ‘Big Five’ is.
“I have never met anyone whose name has been mentioned in connection with it, and I categorically deny any links to such individuals.
“The Patriotic Alliance has won five wards this year alone in communities that are most affected by the scourge of drug dealing.
‘We won those wards because the people on the ground see our efforts in fighting drugs.
“This is dirty politics at play.
“With the tremendous success of our party, and my work as a minister, we fully expected these kinds of campaigns ahead of a very important election.”
Background
As far back as 2022, a report in the Mail & Guardian detailed in sensational fashion how Jermaine Prim was said to be running a sophisticated fraud syndicate from inside prison using cloned phone numbers and impersonating senior public officials.
“What South Africans are witnessing now is a continuation of that same modus operandi: misdirection, fabrication, and the deliberate targeting of high-profile leaders to generate attention and credibility for his otherwise baseless claims,” said the PA.
“The true nature of the contact between Prim and the President of the PA, Gayton McKenzie, is far less interesting.
“Prim himself reached out to President McKenzie in 2020, from prison, as part of his broader pattern.”
The PA said, at first, McKenzie had no knowledge that he was communicating with a convicted inmate.
He was deliberately misled into believing he was engaging with an ordinary member of the public who was presenting himself as someone willing to volunteer time, assist with marketing efforts and contribute to the growth of the Patriotic Alliance.
There was nothing unusual about this at the time. Like many political leaders, President McKenzie engages with members of the public who wish to support the work of the party.
“It was only later that it became apparent that this interaction formed part of Prim’s wider pattern of impersonation, manipulation and deception.
“President McKenzie has made it unequivocally clear that he has never met Prim in person.”
The PA said that after McKenzie cut off all contact with Prim, he later had to lodge a complaint against him for threatening PA members, including women, from his jail cell, which led to an investigation and Prim being moved to a more secure prison facility.
“As for the eNCA interview, the circumstances under which it was conducted are extremely alarming,” the PA said.
“By his own account, Prim was able to initiate direct contact with a journalist from within a correctional facility.
“It raises serious questions about how such access was obtained, whether it was authorised, and whether correctional regulations have been breached.”
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