Africa-Press – South-Africa. Suspended Patriotic Alliance deputy and City of Johannesburg MMC for transport Kenny Kunene has resigned as a councillor with immediate effect.
Kunene’s resignation comes after police found him at the Sandton house of murder accused Katiso “KT” Molefe on Tuesday.
Kunene told media outlets he was at the house when police arrived to arrest Molefe because he was facilitating an interview with a newsmaker for journalists from his online news platform.
On Friday, PA leader Gayton McKenzie served his deputy with a suspension letter pending an investigation into allegations against him.
Molefe is accused of being the mastermind who ordered the hits on DJ Sumbody and Armand Swart, a Vereeniging engineer killed after his company allegedly flagged price gouging in a Transnet tender.
In a letter to City of Johannesburg speaker on Friday Kunene said: “I regret to inform you that I have tendered my resignation as a proportional representation councillor for the PA effective immediately and will thus be unable to continue as a member of your mayoral committee responsible for transport”.
“I am stepping aside from public life for a period, while my party satisfies itself as to certain allegations that have been raised against me, which are unfounded. But I have nevertheless agreed it would be in the public interest for me to await the clearing of my name before considering a return to public service and duty.”
Earlier in the week McKenzie said: “I believe Kenny 100%. I can’t expect everyone to believe him, hence we are launching a full investigation to prove what we know, which is that he is innocent,” McKenzie said.
The DA responded to Kunene’s resignation with renewed calls for an investigation into processes, organisations and projects under his portfolio.
DA caucus leader Belinda Kayer Echeozonjoku said the party wrote to mayor Dada Morero demanding Kunene’s removal. It requested investigations into:
All contracts and procurement processes at the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA);
The contractors and procurement of the Lilian Ngoyi street repairs; and
Contracts, appointments and procurement processes at the Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC).
The DA asked the mayor to respond within seven days.
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