The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has welcomed the findings of an independent investigation which cleared deputy president Kenny Kunene after he was found at the house of Katiso Molefe, who has been linked to the murder of DJ Sumbody.
The party said Kunene’s suspension has been lifted and that he has resumed his duties as its deputy president.
It added that it expects him to return as MMC for transport in the City of Joburg.
The report conclusively states that Mr Kunene’s explanation that he was at the property to facilitate an exclusive journalistic interview for Africa News Global has been fully corroborated by witness testimonies and evidence.
— Chinelle Stevens, PA secretary-general
Kunene was cleared by Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH), which investigated why he was at the house at the time police were going to arrest Molefe. Kunene denied having any links to Molefe, saying he was accompanying a journalist to the house.
PA secretary-general Chinelle Stevens said CDH conducted a thorough probe, including in-person interviews with Kunene, journalist Jabulani Binase, a facilitator known as Jabu (not his real name), and Africa News Global editor Steve Motale.
“The investigation reviewed relevant documents, media interviews, and open-source information,” Stevens said.
“The report conclusively states that Mr Kunene’s explanation that he was at the property to facilitate an exclusive journalistic interview for Africa News Global has been fully corroborated by witness testimonies and evidence.”
Stevens said the report found “no evidence or witness testimony that refutes the version from Mr Kunene,” affirming that his account “remains true on the face of it”.
She said Kunene and Binase arrived at Molefe’s Sandton home for a scheduled interview, only for police officers to arrive and arrest Molefe on unrelated charges.
“We note that Mr Molefe was not a fugitive at the time and the interview was sought purely for journalistic purposes as Mr Kunene has consistently maintained in televised interviews at the time,” Stevens said.
The party commissioned the independent probe to ensure transparency and accountability, which are central to the party’s mission, Stevens said.
“With the report’s clear exoneration of Mr Kunene, we are satisfied that no wrongdoing occurred, and there is no basis for any association between Mr Kunene and Mr Molefe beyond incidental social encounters facilitated by a mutual acquaintance. This outcome vindicates our faith in Mr Kunene’s integrity and dedication to public service.”
Stevens called on opposition parties to respect the findings and to “cease baseless allegations that only serve to distract from the real issues facing South Africans”.
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