The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has formally escalated its political friction with ActionSA by lodging a high-level ethics complaint against Member of Parliament Dereleen James.
The submission, filed by PA President Gayton McKenzie with Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests, accuses James of a “pattern of conduct” involving deliberate misrepresentation and the fabrication of false narratives.
Allegations of misrepresentation
At the heart of the complaint is a dispute over comments made by McKenzie during a public Facebook Live session. The PA argues that James took the idiomatic expression “the road is long” — traditionally meaning that time eventually reveals the truth – and reframed it as a physical threat.
Furthermore, the PA clarified McKenzie's references to his SAPS VIP Protection Unit. While James reportedly characterised these mentions as intimidation, the PA contends they were used to demonstrate the “practical impossibility” of James's allegations; McKenzie argues that for her claims to be true, his state-mandated security detail would have to be either unaware of or complicit in criminal activity.
Disputes over ministerial transparency
The complaint also addresses ongoing friction regarding Minister McKenzie's travel costs. While ActionSA has publicly suggested the Minister “hid” these expenses, the PA maintains that a missing annexure in a parliamentary was the result of a simple clerical error.
The PA highlights that:
- Parliament has already acknowledged and corrected the error.
- Despite this correction, ActionSA and Ms. James have allegedly refused to withdraw their claims.
- The PA accuses James of relying on “unsubstantiated allegations” from Jermaine Prim, a convicted fraudster.
Questioning credibility
In a move to highlight what they call inconsistent behaviour, the PA's submission points to a recent “cordial and relaxed” interaction at Parliament where Ms. James allegedly approached McKenzie to request a photograph.
The PA argues that such conduct is inconsistent with someone who genuinely believes they are under threat or facing intimidation.
A call for ethical standards
The Patriotic Alliance maintains that this filing is not a mere political disagreement but a necessary step to uphold the Code of Ethical Conduct for Members of Parliament.
“South Africans are entitled to robust debate,” the statement reads. “They are not served by distortion, exaggeration, and the manufacture of false narratives.”
While the Ethics Committee begins its review, the PA stated it remains focused on its obligations within the Government of National Unity (GNU), dismissing the current friction as a “political slideshow.”