Kunene is seemingly struggling to escape his criminal past: Expert

Political commentator, Goodenough Mashego, has urged South Africans to remember that Kenny Kunene came into prominence by virtue of his criminal activities.

“He didn’t walk out of a church and go into politics. He’s not the Desmond Tutu, he is somebody that came to the public eye through criminal activities and we all know that to a large extent, it’s difficult, almost impossible to rehabilitate a criminal. So, for him, hanging with those people that he was hanging with, it’s birds of a feather.”

Mashego’s remarks come as some South Africans have defended the embattled the Patriotic Alliance (PA) Deputy President and Johannesburg Roads MMC, who is under fire for admitting that he was found at the home of murder-accused, Katiso “KT” Molefe, when he was arrested.

Molefe along with three others stand accused of the brutal 2022 killing of Oupa John Sefoka, also known by his stage name DJ Sumbody, and his two bodyguards.

Amid the noise over the matter, MMC Kunene says he has nothing to hide, insisting that he was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. He claims that he was there to accompany a journalist from his media company, Africa News Global.

Patriotic Alliance President, Gayton McKenzie, has since suspended Kunene from all party activities, describing the move as the hardest thing he’s ever had to do in his life.

Mashego has dismissed Kunene’s explanation, suggesting that it wasn’t by mistake that he was found in the company of suspected kingpin.

He has highlighted the need for the embattled MMC to be cautious of the company he keeps.

While the DA has intensified its calls for Kunene to be fired from his position as MMC, Mashego has labeled the party’s move as political.

He says more than anything this experience should serve as a wakeup call for Kunene. In the same breath, he adds that this situation speaks to the need of public servants being vetted for national security.

Political analyst, Bongani Mahlangu, agrees with Mashego that Kunene needs to be cautious of the company he keeps.

Mahlangu says while he might be innocent, unfortunately public officials can’t escape a negative perception that could be created after being seen taking pictures or associating with dodgy characters, among others.

The political expert believes that access to high ranking public officials should be restricted.

“Because if you do not, it would lead to serious repercussions, not just for yourself, but repercussions for the organisations that you represent, [and] in this case, in context, government, in a sense of the city of Johannesburg, the Patriotic Alliance as a political formation. So you really have to restrict access to yourself and also have to manage your moves and manage your brand, which is what he failed to do,” he adds.