Suspended Patriotic Alliance deputy president Kenny Kunene. (X)
A report prepared by legal firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr has cleared suspended Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene of any wrongdoing after his suspension in July.
The party suspended Kunene after he was found at the home of alleged underworld boss Katiso Molefe when the latter was arrested in July for allegedly being the mastermind behind the 2022 murder of Oupa Sefoka, popularly known as DJ Sumbody. Molefe was out on R100 000 bail for another murder when he was arrested in Kunene’s presence.
Kunene, who owns the online publication African News Global, said the purpose of his visit to Molefe’s property was to facilitate an exclusive interview on various topics for one of his journalists, adding that he only knew Molefe from a distance.
In its report, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr said as Molefe was in jail, it had yet to contact his attorneys to arrange an interview with him and corroborate what had been relayed to the firm by Kunene.
The firm also interviewed Biance Banase, the journalist Kunene claimed he had accompanied to Molefe’s home, and African News Global editor-in-chief Steve Motale.
“As at the date of publishing this report, we are not aware of any criminal charges or civil proceedings that have been instituted against Mr Kunene that are related directly or indirectly to his presence at the home of Mr Molefe,” read the report.
“In as far as Mr Kunene’s version of the events that led to him being found in the premises of Mr Molefe on 21 July 2025, his version is corroborated by the interviews conducted with him (Mr Kunene), Jabu, Mr Binase and Mr Motale. The documents and information checked have also corroborated his story.
“Accordingly, [Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr] has found no evidence or witness testimony that refutes the version provided by Mr Kunene for being at the home of Mr Molefe on 21 July 2025 and his version remains true on the face of it.”
Last month, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said an AK-47 assault rifle, and two other firearms linked to Molefe and another underworld figure, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, which had been seized, had been linked to 18 murder and attempted murder cases and other serious crimes.
Kunene is expected to be reinstated as a City of Johannesburg councillor, in a bid for the party to demand the MMC for transport position, which the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had been gunning for.
Kunene resigned from the council pending the report.
Last month, the Mail & Guardian reported that the EFF wanted Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero to give the position left vacant by Kunene to the party, which would in turn yield its community safety portfolio to the PA.
The PA has signalled its opposition to this proposed swop, while the EFF has threatened to withdraw its support for the ANC in the city if it does not get its way.
Sources within the EFF’s central command team — its highest decision-making body — said this had been discussed by party structures as part of a strategy to gain momentum ahead of local government elections.
The department oversees critical issues, including the management of roads, licensing centres and public transport networks, as well as the regulation of the troublesome minibus taxi industry and the City of Johannesburg’s problematic Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system.
A source in the Johannesburg council told the Mail & Guardian on Monday that Liam Jacobs is expected to resign in order to make space for Kunene’s return.
The party recently announced Kunene as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, while Jacobs has been named the mayoral candidate for Cape Town.
“Remember, the EFF wants that transport position and they have been fighting over it. So, if Kenny returns, he will be reinstated in his position. I don’t know how long it will take for his return,” the source said.
“Gayton [McKenzie, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture] was announcing last week that that boy [Jacobs] must go to Cape Town to familiarise himself because he is their mayoral candidate there. I don’t know how they’ll do it, but maybe someone will have to resign in Cape Town and make space for him.”
Another source told the M&G that it was becoming increasingly likely that Kunene would return to the city after the report cleared him.
“They won’t want to give that transport MMC position to EFF, so he is definitely coming, plus he has been made the mayoral candidate for his party,” they said.