By: Bianca “BB” Binase
City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero has appointed Patriotic Alliance (PA) Deputy President Kenny Kunene as member of mayoral committee (MMC) for Roads and Transport.
Kunene, who received his appointment letter today (Friday 3 October) resigned as councillor and MMC in July after police found him at the Sandton house of high-profile murder suspect Katiso Molefe.
However, Kunene was cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation by top Sandton-based law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH). Kunene’s reappointment to the post he held before he resigned in July, followed after a meeting between a PA delegation met with the Gauteng provincial leadership of the ANC earlier this week.
The meeting came after PA leader Gayton McKenzie gave the ANC in the City of Joburg 7-day ultimatum to reinstate Kunene, failing which the PA would pull out of all coalition governments with the ANC in all municipalities and provinces. McKenzie also threatened to resign as Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture unless Kunene was reinstated.
Mackenzie who broke the news on X said: “I wanna thank the @MYANC in the manner in which we sorted out our disagreement regarding the @Kenny_T_Kunene matter. Most importantly I wanna thank @OnsBaizaNie for trusting us as leadership. Let’s work.”
https://x.com/GaytonMcK/status/1974148839394468199?t=ITYnJXd6bOSt5fbJ16aGVA&s=19
Kunene thanked McKenzie for the “support he gave me throughout”. “I will also like to thank the national leadership of the ANC, President Cyril Ramaphosa and secretary general Fikile Mbalula for the role they played in this matter. I will also like to thank the ANC Gauteng provincial task team (PTT) led by ntate Amos Masondo and co-convenors, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and Hope Papo. Most importantly I thank my family and all members of the PA for the support and love they gave me.”
Kunene will be sworn in as MMC on Monday (6 October) at 12pm.
