Patriotic Alliance President Gayton McKenzie Suspends Kenny Kunene From His Position
- Patriotic Alliance President, Gayton McKenzie, has taken action against his deputy, Kenny Kunene
- This was after Kunene was found outside the house of Katiso Molefe, who was arrested for the murder of DJ Sumbody
- South Africans were not surprised, and some accused Kuenene of hiding his criminal background behind his political career
Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliamentary Proceedings, and politician-related news, as well as elections, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG — Patriotic Alliance (PA) president Gayton McKenzie has placed Kenny Kunene, the party's deputy, on suspension after he was found at the house of murder-suspect Katiso Molefe on 21 July 2025.
In a video he posted on Facebook, McKenzie stated that Kunene was suspended from his position, including his role as the MMC of Transport in Johannesburg, and from party activities for one month. An investigation into his links with Molefe will be conducted.
McKenzie said that acting against Kunene was the hardest thing he has ever had to do in his life. This was because Kunene and Gayton are best friends and founded the PA together. McKenzie also defended him in a tweet, which he posted on his @GaytonMcK X account. He said that he believes Kunene was innocent.
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Source: Getty Images
"It's the hardest thing to act against Kenny Kunene," he said.
Kenny Kunene found at suspect's house
Kenny Kunene defended himself after the South African Police Service found him outside of Molefe's Sandton house on their way to arrest him in connection with the murder of DJ Sumbody. Kunene denied having any links to Molefe and said that he was there to accompany a journalist.
Kunene explained that he was the owner of an online publication and was in the process of handing it over to a group of young journalists. The publication, he said, needed a strong exclusive story to drive traffic and revenue, and a friend organised the interview with Molefe.
Kunene further said that he submitted his cellphone to police officers to check how he received Molefe's address. They also searched his phone to see if he had previously used or had access to Molefe's number.
South Africans not impressed
Netizens commenting on Facebook were not pleased.
Ngwako Van Mokgerere said:
"He forgot to clean his yard while he was busy cleaning the city."
Dakalo Manwele asked:
"When McKenzie said he would like to be invited to the commission of inquiry because he knows things, what did he mean?"
Siyakholwa Nozibelek asked:
"He said he believes and knows that he is innocent, but would investigate him anyway. The question is: how do you investigate someone when you already know the outcome?"
Boutimel Mogorosi said:
"This suspension is illegal. He should have recalled him from the council as their deployee. The Mayor is the one who's supposed to suspend him because he's the one who appointed him."
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Xola Fayo said:
"A delinquent imposes a suspension on another."
What you need to know about Kenny Kunene
Kenny Kunene was imprisoned from 1997 to 2003 after being convicted of running a Ponzi scheme. He reportedly spent ten years behind bars, four years awaiting trial and six serving his sentence. While in prison, he became known for hosting inmate parties.
In 2013, Kunene briefly joined Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) before co-founding the Patriotic Alliance (PA) with close associate Gayton McKenzie. The party contested the 2014 general elections with limited success. Kunene officially stepped away from politics in October 2014. He returned to politics and now serves as deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance.
Sizwe Dhlomo and Sol Phenduka react to Kenny Kunene at suspect's house
In a related account, Briefly News reported that Sizwe Dhlomo and Sol Phenduka reacted to Kenny Kunene at Molefe's house. Kunene explained that he was not there on personal business.
Phenduka and Dhlomo shared emojis of shock and laughter at the news that Kunene was there when Molefe was arrested.
Source: Briefly News
