‘Kunene’s investigation nears end, public must be patient,’ says PA leader Gayton McKenzie

Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie has broken his silence on the party’s investigation into the suspension of his deputy president, Kenny Kunene, urging the public to be patient as the investigation reaches its final stages.

Kunene was suspended for 30 days in July after being found at the home of murder accused Katiso “KT” Molefe, the alleged mastermind behind the 2022 assassination of popular musician and club owner Oupa “DJ Sumbody” Sefoka. 

While that suspension period has since lapsed, the party has remained silent on the progress of the probe.

In a Facebook Live broadcast on Sunday evening, McKenzie confirmed that Kunene and several other people had been interviewed by the law firm tasked with conducting the investigation.

“The investigators have interviewed the DP (deputy president), his witnesses, the journalist he said was there, and I think they interviewed other people. So that investigation is nearly done - we are just waiting for the results,” McKenzie said.

“People were asking what’s happening with the case on the DP, why are we quiet? I’m not the one investigating this matter - I told you who’s investigating it. We must wait because we can’t interfere during the investigation,” he added.

McKenzie said they did not want to interfere with the investigations.

“If we interfere, people will say, ‘Ah, he’s interfering.’ So we didn’t want to do that.”

He said the report from the investigators would be made public once complete.

The PA appointed law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr to lead the investigation into Kunene’s conduct. 

In addition to his suspension from the party, Kunene resigned from his roles as councillor and Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport in the City of Johannesburg following intense public scrutiny.

Kunene has maintained that he was at Molefe’s residence for journalistic purposes, claiming that a young reporter from his online publication, Africa News Global, was conducting an investigation when police arrived.

The high-profile arrest of Molefe drew widespread attention. 

He was denied bail by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court last month on the allegations murder charges against the popular musician.

Magistrate Renier Boshoff ruled that Molefe had failed to demonstrate exceptional circumstances to justify his release. 

He remains in custody and is due back in court on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

Molefe has been identified as the alleged orchestrator of DJ Sumbody’s murder, which occurred in a hail of bullets in 2022. 

The late musician was also the owner of Ayepyep Lifestyle Lounge in Pretoria. His killing remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, McKenzie previously confirmed that 24-year-old Liam Jacobs would replace Kunene as the PA’s new proportional representative councillor in the City of Johannesburg. 

Jacobs, who joined the PA in June after a brief stint with the Democratic Alliance (DA), was expected to take over the MMC for Transport portfolio.

However, his appointment has sparked friction among coalition partners in the metro, who have raised concerns about Jacobs’ lack of experience in local government.

Johannesburg continues to face mounting transport and infrastructure challenges, including widespread potholes and deteriorating roads.

McKenzie said the PA would announce its formal position on coalition-related matters by Monday evening, after accusing the ANC of “playing games” and the EFF of vying for the party’s transport portfolio.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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