'I knew he was innocent': Gayton McKenzie says Kenny Kunene cleared of any wrongdoing
In a Facebook Live broadcast on Monday evening, Gayton McKenzie said he was relieved after a probe by respected law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr exonerated his deputy Kenny Kunene.
Image: Ian Landsberg
Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene has been cleared of any wrongdoing and has resumed his duties in the party, PA leader Gayton McKenzie announced.
In July, IOL reported that the PA had suspended Kunene pending an investigation into his presence at the Sandton home of businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe, a suspect in the 2022 assassination of popular musician and club owner Oupa “DJ Sumbody” Sefoka.
In a Facebook Live broadcast on Monday evening, Gayton McKenzie said he was relieved after a probe by respected law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr exonerated his deputy Kenny Kunene.
“They say his story corroborates. So the DP (deputy president Kunene) is innocent, they investigated him, interviewed people, you will see it for yourselves. I am giving it (the report) to Patriotic Alliance members. This is where you will get your news when they write stuff about you. To the DP, I wanna say to you, I am so happy, my brother, my friend, my co-leader, thank you.
“The DP has been found that his story checks out. Liam (Jacobs) will resign tonight as a councillor because he is moving straight to Cape Town. He’s gonna live in Cape Town full-time because he has to travel around the country.
“To the DP, you have shown absolute leadership. When you were asked to step down from being an MMC, you asked me if you must also step down as a councillor, and I said yes. You never went out to badmouth the party. I want to say our DP is back,” McKenzie said.
Kenny Kunene
Image: Boxer Ngwenya/Independent Newspapers
The Patriotic Alliance said his relationship with Kunene had not been strained.
"I want to say to the DP, I am so excited. You don't know. God is so great. I knew it. I stood with the DP, and now no one can say there is favouritism in the PA. The report is there," said McKenzie.
Kunene had been suspended from all political activity while the investigation unfolded. At the time, McKenzie confirmed: “You know that we've suspended Kenny, the DP, away from political activity, until we know what really happened there.”
Following his suspension, Kunene resigned as deputy president of the PA, as well as from his positions as Proportional Representation Councillor and Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport in the City of Johannesburg.
His resignation in July followed allegations linking him to the alleged criminal syndicate led by Molefe, accused of masterminding the murder of DJ Sumbody.
Kunene admitted he was present at Molefe’s house when police arrested the businessman but said he had gone there to accompany a journalist from his media company.
DJ Sumbody was gunned down in November 2022 in Woodmead, Johannesburg. The shooting also claimed the life of another person, while a third was left injured.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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