Patriotic Alliance crisis — McKenzie set to announce next move in Kunene saga

Daily Maverick

27-07-2025

All eyes will be on the Patriotic Alliance as it seeks to clarify the next steps in the ongoing Kenny Kunene saga after his resignation from the City of Johannesburg council.
On Monday, 28 July, Patriotic Alliance (PA) president Gayton McKenzie is expected to announce the party's new representative in the City of Johannesburg following the resignation of Kenny Kunene, the party's deputy president.
Kunene resigned as councillor and as Johannesburg mayoral committee member (MMC) for transport on 25 July after he was found at the Sandton house of murder accused Katiso 'KT' Molefe earlier in the week when police were there to arrest Molefe.
Party spokesperson Steve Motale told Daily Maverick that, as the party, 'we believe in the innocence' of Kunene.
Kunene has been suspended from PA activities for 30 days while an internal investigation is under way. However, Motale said there was no replacement for Kunene and he 'remains the deputy president'.
Kunene would return to work as soon as the investigation had been concluded.
McKenzie is expected to issue an update on Kunene on Monday, in an address to party followers on Facebook.
Kunene made headlines after he was seen at the home of Molefe, who was arrested in connection with the killing of Oupa Sefoka, popularly known as DJ Sumbody, in a 2022 drive-by shooting in Woodmead, Johannesburg. He died alongside his bodyguard after the vehicle they were travelling in was peppered with bullets.
As Daily Maverick reported, Kunene claimed he was not friends with Molefe, but had visited the Sandton house in his capacity as owner of online publication African News Global. He had gone there with an unnamed individual who had arranged for Kunene's media company to conduct an exclusive interview with Molefe.
Alongside Kunene was an unnamed journalist who would be conducting the interview. In a media blitz last week Kunene claimed to be in the process of removing himself from the publication owing to time constraints, and handing it over to young journalists.
McKenzie described Kunene as his brother, and the two are godparents to each other's children. Kunene, McKenzie said, 'would never get involved with murders. That's not him. He's a good man.'
Kunene's suspension and resignations
On Friday, 25 July, McKenzie posted on X about his communication with party secretary-general Chinelle Stevens about Kunene's suspension as PA deputy president.
In his letter, McKenzie said this came from engagements with Kunene 'regarding certain allegations that have arisen against him. These relate to a public perception that his provided reasons for being found at the home of an alleged member of a murder syndicate should be tested.'
According to McKenzie, Kunene 'has agreed to cooperate with an investigation, which will be led by a competent legal team. Until such time as he is fully cleared, he has agreed to step aside from his political role in the PA, and he will therefore not act and work in any official capacity in the party while on suspension.'
Kunene then also resigned as councillor and transport MMC, in letters addressed to Johannesburg council speaker Margarete Arnolds​ and mayor Dada Morero.
This is the hardest letter I ever had to write in my entire life, for sake of full transparency I am putting it here. pic.twitter.com/BaeiRbpFX4
— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) July 26, 2025
As Daily Maverick has reported, only Morero has the prerogative to remove or replace MMCs, which he can do at any time and without council approval, according to section 60 of the Municipal Systems Act.
This crisis has engulfed the PA during a week in which it won another by-election – in the DA heartland of Drakenstein (Paarl, Wellington) – as the party steadily makes inroads across the country in terms of electoral support at local government level. It is also part of the Government of National Unity.
The DA in Johannesburg said it noted Kunene's resignation.
Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, the party's Johannesburg caucus leader, said in a statement that even though Kunene was no longer a councillor, the party still demanded an investigation of 'all contracts and procurement processes at the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA); full investigation into the contractors and procurement of the Lilian Ngoyi Street Repairs; full investigation into contracts, appointments and procurement processes at the Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC)'.
Kunene, as transport MMC, had direct political oversight of these processes, organisations and projects.
Daily Maverick's ongoing reporting in Johannesburg reveals potholes, unstable leadership and service delivery problems, from water to roads.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku said: 'Should the Executive Mayor fail to respond to the DA within 7 days, the DA will use all avenues at our disposal, including approaching law enforcement with the information available to us, to hold the Executive Mayor as Shareholder representative himself responsible for the alleged irregularities at JRA and MTC.'
Kunene's resignation from the mayoral committee comes as a reshuffle is due for Morero, since Arnolds is no longer the finance MMC after becoming speaker. Motale told Daily Maverick that the PA still had a seat on the mayoral committee and Morero would communicate the next steps soon.
Good party councillor in Johannesburg, Matthew Cook, said that 'while questions remain regarding his relationship with murder-accused Katiso 'KT' Molefe, we acknowledge Kunene's decision to step aside as a responsible and necessary step in defence of public trust.'
Cook, who is the party's national chairperson, said: 'Kunene's resignation, while not an admission of wrongdoing, demonstrates a degree of maturity often absent in local government. His departure allows space for due process, transparency and a fair resolution in the interest of all parties involved.'
He continued: 'Johannesburg has no shortage of urgent issues demanding attention: collapsing infrastructure, growing commuter frustrations, service delivery backlogs and a need to overhaul the city's transport networks. These challenges require an MMC that is fully focused, credible and above reproach.'
He said: 'Good remains committed to placing the interests of Johannesburg's residents above politics. We support all efforts to promote ethical governance, safeguard due process and reinforce a culture of accountability, transparency and dignity in local government.' DM