Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene has taken a swipe at Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chair Helen Zille, saying she should “stay home and look after her great-grandchildren” rather than run for Johannesburg mayor in 2026.
Kunene, who described Zille as a “Cape Town reject,” made the comments on Wednesday in Diepkloof, Soweto, during a pothole repair drive with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) board and CEO Zweli Nyathi.
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The outspoken politician recently returned as the City of Johannesburg’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport after being sworn in by Council Speaker Margaret Arnolds on Monday.
Kunene had resigned from his council and MMC positions in July 2025 following controversy after being spotted at the home of Katiso “TK” Molefe — the man accused of murdering musician DJ Sumbody. The PA suspended Kunene pending an investigation, but after being cleared, he was reinstated last month.
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Following his reinstatement, PA leader Gayton McKenzie reportedly threatened to pull the party out of coalition agreements with the ANC in Johannesburg if Kunene was not returned to the Mayoral Committee.
Kunene now oversees the city’s transport portfolio — which includes public transport systems, roads, and traffic management — and has been announced as the PA’s 2026 mayoral candidate for Johannesburg.
Reacting to Zille’s nomination, Kunene dismissed her credentials: “What experience? They are bringing us a wheelchair. They are bringing an old-age home here. They are some of the rejects of Cape Town,” he said.
He added that Zille’s leadership in Cape Town favoured affluent suburbs over disadvantaged communities.
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“Helen Zille could not perform in Cape Town. She worked for the suburbs. She did not work for the people of Manenberg, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu or Langa,” Kunene claimed.
The DA has previously faced criticism over alleged neglect of informal settlements during Zille’s tenure as Cape Town mayor and Western Cape premier.
“Joburg Doesn’t Need A Cape Town Reject,” Says Kunene
Kunene further argued that Zille was out of touch with Johannesburg’s realities and accused her of seeking to serve only wealthy areas.
“So now she wants to come here and be the mayor of Sandton, the mayor of Gauteng, and neglect Orange Farm, Soweto, Diepsloot and Alexandra,” he said.
“The people of Johannesburg are not going to allow somebody who should be looking after great-grandchildren to come here and run with people who are fit and energetic like Kenny Kunene,” he added.
He also questioned Zille’s connection to the city, saying she doesn’t even live there.
“She does not even have a house here; she is still looking to rent. So how is she going to deal with the issues of Johannesburg when she doesn’t know them — and she can’t learn them in just a year?” Kunene said.
Kunene insisted that his experience in city governance made him more suitable for the role: “I’m in government in the City of Johannesburg. I know how to turn around the city. I’ve turned around the transport department. She must just sit in her house in Cape Town and take care of her great-grandchildren, if she has them.”
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He added that PA supporters had urged him to run for mayor.
“The people on the ground are saying, ‘Please stand for mayor. We are going to vote for you,’” he said. “Young people were stopping me on the corners and saying they’re going to vote for me as mayor.”
Kunene concluded that his “truth” and reputation remain intact despite past controversies.
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