By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president, Kenny Kunene has resigned as a PR councillor in the City of Johannesburg with immediate effect.
Kunene was appointed transport MMC in the City of Gold in February 2023, and has also acted as executive mayor, filling in for both former mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and current mayor Dada Morero.
Despite his short tenure, he positioned himself as a proactive leader by conducting site visits to depots, roadworks and bus infrastructure hubs, and notably leading raids on hijacked buildings and illegal connections, often a thorny issue.
Kunene was found at the home of Katiso “KT” Molefe, who has been arrested in connection with the murder of Oupa “DJ Sumbody” Sefoka.
Kunene was suspended by the PA after a visit, details of which remain unclear, Molefe, who was arrested in connection with a 2022 drive-by shooting that killed Sefoka and his bodyguards. They died after their vehicle was riddled with bullets in Woodmead, Johannesburg.
Police have also fingered Molefe for the killing of Armand Swart, an engineer from Vereeniging. Swart was murdered after his company reportedly raised red flags about price gouging related to a Transnet tender.
In his defence, Kunene said he was in the company of an unnamed journalist who had arranged the meeting with Molefe. Kunene claimed he had never previously met or interacted with Molefe, with whom the journalist was set to conduct an exclusive interview.
Kunene stated in his resignation letter, “I regret to inform you that I have tendered my resignation as a Proportional Representation Councillor for the Patriotic Alliance, effective immediately, and will thus be unable to continue as a member of your mayoral committee, responsible for transport.”
He added, “I am stepping aside from public life, for a period, while my party satisfies itself as to certain allegations that have been raised against me, which are unfounded, but I have nevertheless agreed it would be in the public interest for me to await the clearing of my name before considering a return to public service and duty.”
PA leader Gayton McKeznie believes Kunene was set up, although he has provided no evidence to back this up.
“He doesn’t believe he was set up; he says it was pure coincidence. I have no proof, but I just have a gut feeling that he was set up…” he said.
On the decision to place Kunene on suspension while an internal investigation was being conducted, McKenzie said it was important to set a precedent and position the party for the 2026 local government and 2029 general elections.
Although McKenzie believed in Kunene’s innocence, he said what happened was “really unfortunate” and that leaders should be mindful of the people whose company they kept.
Kunene’s past includes a criminal conviction. In 1997, he was sentenced to six years in prison for fraud after being found guilty of running a Ponzi scheme. At the time, he worked as an English teacher, but became involved in criminal activity while selling alcohol after hours.