Johannesburg – The Democratic Alliance (DA) is urging Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero to fire Kenny Kunene, the MMC for Transport.
The deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance was found at a Sandton house with murder-accused Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe, who was arrested by police on Sunday
Kunene denies having a relationship with Molefe, who appeared in court and was remanded in custody for the November 2022 murder of DJ Sumbody.
He also rejects any suggestions of wrongdoing and claims he was only at the murder-accused’s house to facilitate an interview for a journalist who writes for his online publication.
However, the Patriotic Alliance has since announced that Kunene has been suspended, for a month, from his party duties.
Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie said he was writing to the City of Johannesburg to remove Kunene from his Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport post while a probe into the matter is carried out.
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Reacting to the developments, Councillor Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, the DA Johannesburg caucus leader, said: “Gayton McKenzie’s so-called removal of Kenny Kunene as a MMC in Johannesburg is yet another example of the Patriotic Alliance’s trademark style: unlawful and misguided”.
Cllr Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the DA was urging “Mayor Dada Morero to act against the tainted Kunene and remove him from his post as MMC permanently. Hanging out with suspected murderers and bringing the entire executive into disrepute is punishable, and Morero must act”.
She added: “A paid, month-long holiday is not an option for Kunene.
“Nothing short of his unconditional removal will suffice, pending the outcome of both ethics and criminal investigations into his links to suspected murderers.
“Unfortunately for McKenzie, we do not have faith in his so-called internal investigation. Especially not as he has already made his belief in Kunene’s innocence so clear.”
Gayton’s social media proclamation that he will suspend Kunene as an MMC has absolutely no legal basis, the DA Johannesburg caucus leader said.
“His internal party-political nonsense has no place in the Johannesburg executive,” stated Cllr Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
“We do not expect more from him, but the law does. Kenny must go, for the preservation of the Executive’s stature and Johannesburg”.
