By: Bianca “BB” Binase
A few days after police found him at the house of a high-profile murder suspect in Sandton, Patriotic Alliance Deputy President Kenny Kunene was spotted leaving the Germiston offices of The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks.
Kunene’s pictures leaving Hawks offices set social media ablaze, with many speculating that he had gone there to surrender himself to authorities. There were also many fake social media posts claiming there was a warrant of arrest out for Kunene. This happened barely days after Kunene was found at the Sandton home of Katiso Molefe in July when Police Special Task Team descended on his home to arrest the controversial businessman. Molefe is accused of masterminding the 2022 murder of musician Oupa Sefoka, known as DJ Sumbody, and two of his bodyguards. Molefe is also accused of the murder of a Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart.
At the time he was found at Molefe’s house, Kunene said he was there accompanying a young journalist from his online news website, Africa News Global. Kunene has since been cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation by top Sandton-based law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH). Kunene was suspended by the PA, and he resigned from his position as Johannesburg MMC for Transport and councillor in the City of Joburg while the investigation unfolded.
Unbeknown to many, Kunene had visited the Hawks offices in Germiston as a whistleblower and not as a subject of any criminal investigation after he had for months been subjected to several extortion attempts by a criminal impersonating a senior Hawks officer. It all started in May when Kunene received a call from someone who identified himself as General Masunuke from the Hawks. The caller, who had the logo of the Hawks and a Hawks officer, Warrant Officer Lefa Lebitso’s picture on his profile, told Kunene that he (Kunene) was a subject of a Hawks criminal investigation that had the potential to land him in jail.
The “Hawks General” who claimed he was the investigating officer in the matter, added that Kunene could avoid arrest and subsequent imprisonment only if he “cooperated” with him. “When he said he was a Hawks General investigating me for a crime, I immediately knew that something was wrong as I know I’m clean. Kunene said “the Hawks general” then started calling him daily, threatening to arrest him unless he paid R50 000. “I did not want to make him wild and I pretended to be cooperating with him. I immediately knew that this was a criminal desperately to extort me by impersonating a police officer, a crime that is very rife and under-reported,” said Kunene.
“On 12 June I then set up a meeting with Warrant officer Thabo Lefophane of the Hawks. I showed him the number of the caller as well as his profile picture. Warrant Lefophane recognised on the profile as that of his colleague, Captain Lefa Lebitso. However, he said the number being used by the criminal was not that of Captain Lebitso. Warrant Officer Lefophane said they had a unit that dealt with such crimes based in Germiston and that he would arrange a meeting with officers who deal with such cases. On 23 July, a meeting was indeed arranged and I went to meet with Warrant Officer Enoch Rasikhoka and Captain Lefa Lebitso who was being impersonated. Officer Lebitso couldn’t believe it that a criminal had the audacity to use his picture to commit crime.”
“Warrant Officer Rasikhoka took a statement and indicated that this was a widespread crime however it was difficult to track down perpetrators as in most cases, perpetrators were committing these crimes from prison and most victims did not report the crime to the authorities. I then said to him I know how a criminal thinks and I will bring the rat out of the hole. We then arranged for a trap to be set. Kunene said while this was happening, the “Hawks officer” kept calling him until he promised him what he demanded. On 25 July I again visited the Hawks offices in Germiston to finalise preparations for entrapment of the criminal. The same day, the extortionist called me and we agreed to meet on Monday 28 July.”
Kunene said the extortionist said it would be compromising to both of them to seen in public together. “We then agreed that he would send someone to collect the money from my representative. We agreed that my representative would meet his at Makro Woodmead at 3pm to hand over the cash. On Sunday, the Hawks were delayed and wanted to postpone the arrest to another day. However, with the extortionist having agreed to a meeting, I decided that the meeting between our representatives should go ahead where my private security would make a citizen’s arrest of the extortionist’s representative and hand him over to the police.”
Kunene said the meeting went ahead as planned on Monday 28 July at Makro Woodmead at 3pm. “When our representatives met, my private security pounced on the man sent to collect money and, to our surprise, the guy who identified himself as Thato Masitenyane produced a police identification card. We drove with him to Sandton police station where his credentials were verified and, indeed he was confirmed as police reservist based at Jabulani police station in Soweto.”
Kunene said the suspect confirmed to police at Sandton police station that he was sent by a guy in prison who he claimed was married to his late cousin. “He further claimed that the person who sent him, who he only identified as Lucky, did not tell him what he was going to collect. His story was not convincing at all. How does a police officer get sent by someone in prison to go and collect unidentified item? The fact that a law enforcer could be part of extortion syndicate reveals how crime levels in this country have reached alarming proportions.”
Kunene said the Hawks officers later arrived at Sandton police station and took a statement from the suspect who they detained and released him later after he promised to lead police to the extortionist who he said was incarcerated at Johannesburg Prison, commonly known as Sun City. “ I could have just blocked the number of the person trying to extort me; however, I thought of many South Africans who, on a daily basis fall prey to these merciless criminals.” Kunene appealed to South Africans to be vigilant and never send money to thugs who call them and claim to be members of the Hawks. Kunene also commended Hawks officers Thabo Lefophane and Enoch Rasikhoka for “their professionalism, swift response and commitment to fighting crime”. Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.
