McKenzie to take legal action over inmate’s interview allegations

Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie will pursue legal action against multiple parties after explosive allegations made by a prison inmate during a televised interview on eNCA. “[PA leader] McKenzie will be taking legal action against the commissioner and minister of correctional services, eNCA, its editor and [journalist] Heidi Giokos in her personal capacity and will also report this matter to the broadcasting ombudsman,” PA spokesperson Steve Motale said on Sunday. The row follows a televised interview in which convicted fraudster Jermaine Prim spoke telephonically from prison, making a series of allegations about his relationship with McKenzie.

During the interview, Prim claimed he had met McKenzie through an associate, Mario “Ikit” Darzis, in about 2012 and reconnected with him in 2020 after the death of Nathaniel Julies, 16, in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg. He further alleged that McKenzie facilitated his access to communication while incarcerated. “Yes, Gayton sent in two phones for me at the time,” Prim said when asked whether the events took place while he was in prison.

The circumstances under which the interview was conducted were deeply concerning. “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,” he said.

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The department has denied involvement and pointed out that the situation pointed to a lapse in control. “It is extraordinary that a convicted inmate is able to conduct an unsupervised media interview while making serious criminal allegations against other people without any evidence at all,” said Motale.

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