Patriotic Alliance leader and Minister Gayton McKenzie has formally lodged a complaint with Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests against ActionSA Member of Parliament Dereleen James.
The complaint was filed on Tuesday, shortly after James opened a criminal case of intimidation against McKenzie at Cape Town Central Police Station.
Earlier in the day, James announced on social media that she would pursue legal action, accusing McKenzie of attempting to intimidate her.
“Attempts to intimidate me will not stop me from probing every possible link to the drug cartels destroying our community. Attacks on me as an MP carrying out my constitutional duties to expose criminal capture by drug cartels in South Africa are unacceptable and will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
South Africans expect me to fight for them and the daily threats I receive, including attempts by a Minister to intimidate me, will not stop me. ActionSA remains committed to upholding the rule of law,” she wrote.
In response, the Patriotic Alliance confirmed that McKenzie has escalated the matter to Parliament, arguing that James’s conduct breaches the Code of Ethical Conduct for Members.
According to the complaint, the issue is not political disagreement but what the party describes as a pattern of behaviour that falls below the standards expected of Members of Parliament.
McKenzie alleges that James violated multiple provisions of the Code, including failing to uphold public trust, prioritising political interests over the public interest, undermining confidence in Parliament, and using derogatory language on social media.
At the centre of the dispute is a statement made by McKenzie during a Facebook Live session, where he used the phrase “the road is long.”
The Patriotic Alliance maintains that the phrase was a common idiom referring to the idea that truth unfolds over time, and not a threat.
The party further clarified that McKenzie’s reference to his security detail was not intended as intimidation but rather to highlight the improbability of the allegations against him.
The statement argued that McKenzie has been under continuous protection by the South African Police Service VIP Protection Unit for years, making the claims against him implausible without implicating law enforcement officers.
It added that James allegedly took the remarks out of context and framed them as a threat.
During the same Facebook Live session, McKenzie stated that he would respond to James “politically” and emphasised that he would never threaten a woman.
“I will defend all women. The women of the Patriotic Alliance look up to me and trust me with their concerns. I will never threaten any woman,” he said.
The Ethics complaint also raises concerns about James allegedly giving credibility to claims made by convicted fraudster Jermaine Prim, who is currently serving a prison sentence and faces additional charges.
The Patriotic Alliance claims the allegations are unsubstantiated and form part of a broader pattern of harassment directed at McKenzie and other party members.
The matter now awaits consideration by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests.