Image Source: The Citizen
Local – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has urged Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero to permanently remove Patriotic Alliance deputy president Kenny Kunene from his position as a Member of the Mayoral Committee.
This follows revelations that Kunene was found at the Sandton home of Katiso “KT” Molefe, who is accused of ordering the killings of DJ Sumbody and engineer Armand Swart.
The DA stated that Kunene’s continued presence in the executive undermines the integrity of the City of Johannesburg. They argued that it is not enough to grant Kunene temporary leave while the investigations are unfolding.
“Hanging out with suspected murderers and bringing the entire executive into disrepute is punishable, and Morero must act,” the party said.
The DA also criticised Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie’s announcement that Kunene would be suspended, describing it as a political stunt with no legal weight. They insisted that disciplinary action must come from lawful city governance processes.
“Gayton’s social media proclamation that he will suspend Kunene as an MMC has absolutely no legal basis,” the DA said. “His internal party-political nonsense has no place in the Johannesburg executive.”
McKenzie doubles down on support for Kunene
Despite the criticism, McKenzie has remained publicly supportive of his deputy. He said he had complete confidence in Kunene’s version of events and announced plans for an internal investigation, while making it clear that he already considers Kunene innocent.
“Firstly, I believe Kenny 100%. I can’t expect everyone to believe him, hence we’re launching a full investigation to prove what we already know, that he is innocent. We will share the whole process and findings,” McKenzie said.
He dismissed public outrage over Kunene’s association with Molefe, saying the real issue was perception. He defended Kunene’s social life and suggested the backlash stemmed from his openness rather than wrongdoing.
“People are saying that I shouldn’t vouch for Kenny Kunene. I will vouch for him a million times. I know this man. He is a socialite, and his only crime is the accessibility of everyone to him. I believe his version. The party has a duty to treat everyone the same,” McKenzie said.
The DA said it had no faith in the PA’s internal process and repeated its call for Kunene’s immediate removal.
