PA's Cape Town mayoral candidate arrested after alleged domestic dispute

Cheslyn Daniels, a candidate for mayor of Cape Town in the Patriotic Alliance, has been arrested in connection with an alleged domestic dispute in Belhar. The arrest, reported by the Cape Argus, came after police registered a case involving common assault, linked to domestic violence, and an alleged breach of a court order. Daniels was arrested alongside his current wife, Devenay Rayners, following a report of the incident on Saturday, August 9, at approximately 6:30pm in Koeberg Street, Belhar.

Devenay Rayners, reportedly Daniels' current wife, was detained alongside him. Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the arrests and the registration of the case. A child involved in the incident was returned to his mother, but the full details of the alleged assault and the breach of the court order have not been disclosed by the police.

PA leader Gayton McKenzie announced the arrests on social media, stating that the dispute involved Daniels' former wife, though the police have not confirmed these details. McKenzie indicated that the matter involved "3 people that are all very close to me" and that he was awaiting further information from the PA's secretary-general.

The incident has not been independently verified, and SAPS has not confirmed the sequence of events. Daniels was the Patriotic Alliance's candidate for mayor ahead of the 2026 local government elections. The party has not yet responded to inquiries about the arrests or the circumstances surrounding the incident. Daniels and his co-accused are scheduled to appear in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, August 11, with the allegations yet to be tested in court.