Fraud convict Jermaine Prim claims he is being starved in C-Max detention after transfer
· Citizen
Convicted fraudster Jermaine Prim has alleged that he has been denied food following his transfer back to the high-security C-Max section of Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria.
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Prim, an alleged gangster linked to criminal activity in Eldorado Park, raised the issue while appearing in the Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes Court on Monday, 30 March 2026.
He is currently awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of fraud.
The case originates from a car theft reported in Honeydew in 2018.
Honeydew fraud case
During proceedings, the state urged the court to refrain from intervening in the Department of Correctional Services’ (DCS) decision to move Prim back to C-Max from the Johannesburg Correctional Centre, commonly known as Sun City.
The prosecutor asked the magistrate that the transfer should stand until the reasons behind the decision are clarified.
However, the issue of Prim allegedly being denied food for three days was raised, prompting the state to suggest that the court issue an order compelling authorities to provide meals.
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Prim’s legal representative disputed claims that he was found in possession of a cellphone.
She argued that her client used a public phone to speak to eNCA.
“We are aware why he was transferred back to C-Max, but we do not have reasons as to why the DCS is not feeding him,” she told the court.
The sentencing was reportedly postponed to July.
From prison cell to headlines
Prim has recently dominated headlines following a controversial telephonic interview with eNCA on Friday.
In that interview, he made explosive allegations against Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, including claims of links to the drug cartel.
This has triggered an investigation by the DCS, which flagged the interview as a possible breach of “internal controls”.
Jermaine Prim contacted me from the prison phone number.
— Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) March 28, 2026
Prim tells me on #eNCA that he will die for the truth. #JermainePrim pic.twitter.com/cox4O0b525
Almost two weeks ago, Prim also drew significant attention after penning a letter making wide-ranging allegations.
The document was presented by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to Parliament’s ad hoc committee during his testimony.
In the letter, Prim alleged there was an attempt to pressure tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala into signing an affidavit denying any links to suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, among other claims.
Jermaine Prim wins case against ‘solitary confinement’
Prim recently secured a significant legal victory against correctional authorities.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled on 10 February 2026 that his prolonged detention in C-Max – exceeding three years – was unlawful.
The court found that the maximum permissible period for such detention is 18 months.
Prim had originally been moved to the facility in November 2022 amid allegations that he threatened the residents of Eldorado Park and was linked to violent incidents in the area.
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It was also claimed he had access to multiple mobile phones, allegedly used to communicate via Facebook and WhatsApp.
The DCS seized two cellphones in late September 2022, with a further three devices confiscated about two weeks later in October before they were handed over to the Hawks.
In court papers, Prim argued that his solitary confinement – spending 23 hours a day alone – had severely affected his mental, emotional and physical well-being.
The high court ordered his transfer back to Johannesburg Correctional Centre within 48 hours and referred the matter to oversight bodies, including the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) and Parliament’s justice committee.
Multiple cases still pending
At the heart of the Honeydew case are claims that Prim ran a scam from behind bars, allegedly posing as a representative of Mercedes-Benz.
Victims were convinced to hand over their vehicles under the pretence of repairs.
Prim’s legal troubles, however, are far from over.
In addition to the Honeydew matter, he has been on trial for over two years in the Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes Court on several fraud charges.
These four cases date back to 2016 and were registered in Lenasia, Midrand, Mondeor and Johannesburg Central.
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Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald previously indicated that delays in these proceedings were partly due to Prim frequently changing legal representation.
The trial is set to resume on 13 April 2026.
Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is expected to add seven more cases, among them a 2016 fraud case from Norkem Park.
The other six were opened in 2017 across Ortia, Kempton Park, Vereeniging, Florida, Boksburg and De Deur.
Long history of crime and parole violations
Prim’s criminal history spans more than a decade and includes multiple convictions related to car theft and fraud.
Between May 2009 and February 2012, he was convicted on six counts of motor vehicle theft across three separate cases, receiving sentences of five, six and four years.
These were served concurrently, resulting in an effective six-year sentence.
Although granted parole in September 2012 until February 2015, Prim’s release was short-lived.
His parole was revoked in January 2014, and he was immediately sentenced to an additional five years for further theft-related offences, on top of the 726 days linked to his parole.
Following another release in 2016 under community corrections, Prim was arrested again in October 2017.
His correctional supervision was subsequently revoked.
Prim faced charges linked to two case theft cases in Roodepoort and Johannesburg, both of which have since been concluded, as well as impersonating former national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams.
In 2018, he was convicted and fined of fraud for posing as Abrahams using identity theft technology and attempting to influence prosecutors handling the theft cases.
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