By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The City of Johannesburg has reinstated the Patriotic Alliance (PA) councillor Kenny Kunene as transport MMC after threats to quit the coalition.
Kunene’s reinstatement comes after intense negotiations between his party and the African National Congress (ANC).
The reinstatement highlights the fragile nature of South Africa’s coalition politics, especially in major cities like Johannesburg, where partnerships are key to governance. Kunene, a controversial figure, now returns to oversee one of the city’s most critical departments.
Johannesburg’s ANC-EFF-PA coalition holds 82 seats in the 145-seat council, with the PA’s three votes which are crucial for ANC to hold into mayoral position. Had PA pulled out, it would drop it to 79, forcing reliance on the DA’s 50 seats.
The Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero, who is an ANC councillor has confirmed the reinstatement of Kunene with immediate effect.
Kunene’s reappointment traces back to July 2025, when the Hawks raided the Sandton home of businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe, accused of murder and organised crime. Kunene was at the house at the time.
He was then suspended by the PA pending an investigation and later cleared of any wrongdoing.
Kunene had left a portfolio strained by potholes and faulty traffic lights across SA’s financial hub.
At the time, Morero said it would cost the city about R700m to fix all potholes.
In May the Johannesburg Roads Agency was allocated R2.9bn over the medium term to upgrade high-traffic corridors and expand stormwater infrastructure.
Johannesburg’s pothole crisis has garnered provincial attention, with Gauteng finance MEC Lebogang Maile allocating R9.7bn to roads and transport for 2025/26, rising to R28bn over the medium term.