In a blistering political offensive, Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene has launched a deeply personal attack on Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chair Helen Zille, branding her a “reject of Cape Town” and questioning her fitness to lead Johannesburg, as the battle for the city’s mayoral chain intensifies.
The verbal assault came during a media briefing on Wednesday, held on the sidelines of a service delivery programme in Soweto, following the PA’s official announcement that Kunene will be its mayoral candidate for the upcoming elections.
Kunene, recently reinstated as Johannesburg’s MMC for Transport, did not mince words, framing Zille—who is campaigning for the DA—as an out-of-touch, failed leader being foisted upon the city. “They are bringing us a wheelchair. They are bringing an old age home here. They are bringing a reject of Cape Town,” Kunene told journalists, deploying ageist and ableist rhetoric to undermine his rival.
He anchored his criticism in Zille’s tenure as Premier of the Western Cape, accusing her of systemic neglect. “Helen Zille could not perform in Cape Town. Helen Zille worked for the suburbs… She never worked for people in Manenberg, in Mitchells Plain, in Khayelitsha, in Gugulethu, in Langa,” he asserted, claiming this pattern of favouritism would repeat itself in Johannesburg to the detriment of its townships.
“She worked for the suburbs. So now she wants to come here and be the mayor of Sandton, the mayor of Houghton and neglect Orange Farm, Soweto, Diepsloot and Alexandra,” Kunene charged, positioning himself as the authentic champion of the city’s marginalized communities.
Further questioning her connection to the city, Kunene pointed to Zille’s living arrangements as a sign of her transient commitment. “She does not even have a house here — she’s still looking to rent. How is she going to deal with the issues of Johannesburg when she does not know them?” he argued, contrasting her with his own embedded presence.
The PA deputy leader also dismissed Zille’s candidacy on the grounds of vitality, stating, “The people of Johannesburg are not going to allow somebody that must be looking after great-grandchildren to come here and run with people who are fit and energetic, like Kenny Kunene.”
Kunene’s remarks arrive just days after his controversial reinstatement to the Johannesburg council, marking a rapid political comeback after he resigned in July. His resignation followed his presence at the home of suspected underworld figure Katiso “KT” Molefe during a police raid. Molefe is currently in custody, accused of orchestrating the murder of musician Oupa “DJ Sumbody” Sefoka.
Brushing past this controversy, Kunene projected unwavering confidence, claiming strong grassroots support. “Young people were stopping me at corners and saying, ‘We are going to vote for you as mayor,’” he stated. “One thing about me is I tell the truth. I don’t spin anything.”
Positioning himself as a proven leader, he concluded, “I am in government in the City of Johannesburg. I know how to turn around the city… She must just sit in her house in Cape Town and take your great grandkids if she has them.”
The exchange signals a fiercely contested and potentially bruising election battle for South Africa’s economic hub, where personal attacks and questions of local authenticity are set to take centre stage.
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