Dereleen James Steps Up as ActionSA's New Chair for Western Cape

• ActionSA appointed MP Dereleen James as the new Western Cape provincial chairperson
• Dereleen James said she will prioritises crime, drug cartels, and corruption in the Western Cape ahead of local government elections
• Mary Phadi to will lead ActionSA's campaign in Mpumalanga, addressing internal instability within the MK Party

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

WESTERN CAPE - ActionSA has appointed Dereleen James as its new Western Cape provincial chairperson following a three-day senate strategic planning meeting held in Johannesburg on Saturday, 28 March 2026.

James to prioritises crime, drug cartels, and corruption

The party said James, who gained prominence through her role in the Ad Hoc Committee, will lead its growth strategy and campaign efforts in the province ahead of the upcoming local government elections.

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James said her priorities would include tackling crime, dismantling drug cartels and fighting corruption. She said residents in the Western Cape had long been neglected and marginalised, adding that the province recorded high levels of child abandonment and that safety concerns were affecting school attendance.

Meanwhile, ActionSA appointed Mary Phadi to spearhead and manage its campaign in Mpumalanga. Phadi said she joined the party after observing instability within MK Party following the 2024 elections. She said internal factionalism and leadership changes had weakened the party and shifted its focus away from serving communities in the province.

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A political storm has erupted online after Dereleen James announced that she had laid criminal charges against Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, accusing him of intimidation. The action follows a viral video in which McKenzie allegedly made remarks perceived as threatening, after James questioned his travel expenses and links to individuals tied to alleged criminal networks.

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The drama between Minister Gayton McKenzie and MP Dereleen James is heating up, leaving South Africans divided. Tensions escalated between the pair after James took offence to comments McKenzie made in a Facebook LIVE, describing them as threatening. Following James' claims of intimidation, the Patriotic Alliance leader formally lodged a complaint with Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests against the ActionSA MP. The minister said that James breached multiple provisions of the Code of Ethical Conduct. These include provisions that require members to act in accordance with the public trust, to place the public interest above personal or political interests, to maintain public confidence in Parliament.

ActionSA Member of Parliament Dereleen James took her hat off to General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and gave him his flowers after he appeared before the Ad Hoc Committee in Parliament, Western Cape, on 18 March 2026. James posted a picture of her and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner on her Dereleen James Facebook account. She posted it after Mkhwanazi returned to Parliament to respond to allegations about him and to provide more testimony. She thanked Mkhwanazi for his service to the country.

Source: Briefly News