The City of Johannesburg is a big and complex institution, an economic hub and the strategic municipality in the country. Therefore, the city council needs a strategic political leadership that will take it forward and deliver much-needed service to residents.
That said, the election of the executive mayor is not based on merit, but rather on the political party to which the candidate belongs and the clique within that party. This is partly why local governments in SA are in a poor state.
The Patriotic Alliance has Kenny Kunene as its Johannesburg mayoral candidate for next year's local government elections. Is Kunene fit for purpose? Can the residents of Johannesburg put their trust and future in his hands? There are no easy answers.
What is Kunene's claim to fame? What has he done and accomplished? The nation was introduced to him as a convicted criminal and later a successful business person, who partied and ate sushi from the bodies of topless women. How did he make his money?
Kunene recently resigned as MEC and councillor, after it emerged that he has a relationship with the underworld. The PA also suspended him as its deputy president. Now Gayton McKenzie's party has put him as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. Is the PA deputy president fit to be the mayor of Jozi? Kunene is a noisemaker and populist who plays to the gallery. He also lacks strategic thinking and does not command respect. In my book, he does not fit the bill to be the mayor of Johannesburg. – Thabile Mange, Mogale City
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