---
title: "Kenny Kunene tells Joburg, ‘God gives light during the day; I will at night’"
description: "Launching his campaign for Joburg mayor on Saturday, the Patriotic Alliance’s Kenny Kunene committed to tackling hijacked buildings and made bold claims about his achievements as transport MMC."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026"
author: "Bheki C. Simelane"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/bhekicsimelane/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-20-kenny-kunene-tells-joburg-god-gives-light-during-the-day-i-will-at-night/"
published: "2026-09-20T23:21:30"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 949
---

# Kenny Kunene tells Joburg, ‘God gives light during the day; I will at night’

> Launching his campaign for Joburg mayor on Saturday, the Patriotic Alliance’s Kenny Kunene committed to tackling hijacked buildings and made bold claims about his achievements as transport MMC.

By Bheki C. Simelane · Published 21 September 2026, 01:21 SAST

## Key points
- Kenny Kunene formally launched his bid for Johannesburg mayor, promising a ‘safe’ city, to fix street lights (‘as God gives light during the day, I will at night’) and to reclaim hijacked buildings — while claiming a strong roads record despite recent reporting that the JRA fleet was grounded and the asphalt plant offline.
- Bold fiscal pledge: Kunene vows municipal debt relief — writing off arrears for properties valued under R1-million within 100 days — part of a wider plan to tackle illegal connections, informal settlements and shrinking revenue.
- The Patriotic Alliance is growing in Joburg (from eight to 11 council seats) and positions itself as a coalition player; PA leader Gayton McKenzie backed Kunene, doubled down on tough immigration policies and praised Kunene as the ‘ruffian’ the city needed.
- Claims and controversies linger: Daily Maverick could not verify Kunene’s video claim of evicting an ‘Angolan hijacker’. He briefly stepped away from his MMC role in 2025 after being found at the home of alleged cartel figure Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe — and later reinstated by the PA.

## Content

![LGE-2026-logo-signpost](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/rpEszg8fLXzJqIfC5WtHSTiDXA4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Election2026LogoInarticle_260133.jpg)

On Saturday, 19 September, Johannesburg Transport MMC and Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene launched his campaign to lead the City, prioritising issues including hijacked buildings, informal settlements and debt relief for residents behind on their municipal payments.

Kunene claimed to have a strong track record in government and suggested he would tackle issues that current City leaders (the PA is part of the governing coalition) and other parties had neglected.

“I have done more roads, I have fixed more potholes than any other MMC that has ever operated since democracy. I have stabilised my department \[and have\] a work ethic that is results-driven \[which\] has been seen at \[the Johannesburg Roads Agency\] and the transport department in general,” he told supporters in Aeroton.

Daily Maverick [reported](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-06-23-joburg-silent-on-extent-of-fuel-crisis-after-kenny-kunene-reveals-jra-fleet-grounded/) in June that the Johannesburg Roads Agency’s (JRA’s) fleet was grounded due to financial constraints, while News24 [reported](https://www.news24.com/southafrica/news/kunene-points-fingers-as-joburgs-pothole-fixing-asphalt-plant-sits-dead-for-weeks-20260822-0482) in August that the City’s asphalt plant was offline due to a supplier issue.

Despite these issues, Kunene maintained he was the right candidate to lead Joburg.

“The street lights can be resolved. When I become mayor, I have committed to a safe City of Johannesburg. Every electric pole, every light must work and give people light. I am committed that as God gives you light during the day, I will give you light at night,” he told supporters on Saturday.

![Naledi-Bheki-ReaVaya](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/q6_Npj5-FQck2dOekPBvHxdP440=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/IMG_8138_762717.jpg)

*In this file photo, Johannesburg MMC for Roads and Transport Kenny Kunene addresses the media at the Noordgesig Rea Vaya station in Soweto, where renovations were under way, urging people not to vandalise infrastructure during protests in January 2026. (Photo: Naledi Mashishi)*

### PA growth

In Johannesburg, the PA emerged as [kingmakers](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-08-29-mpho-phalatse-walks-champagne-corks-pop-and-the-sa-multi-party-charter-teeters/) during the no-confidence vote against then mayor Mpho Phalatse, from the DA, in 2023. Her removal hinged less on performance than on political bargaining, with the DA’s refusal to accept Kenny Kunene on the mayoral committee sealing her fate.

The PA won eight of Joburg’s 270 council seats in the 2021 elections, but now it holds 11 seats after several by-election victories, suggesting that the party continues to grow in Joburg and could be influential in coalition negotiations after the elections.

“The PA will continue to grow because it’s the only party that is in touch with South Africans across racial lines,” party supporter Brendan Pietersen (70) told Daily Maverick on Saturday.

![Patriotic Alliance Celebrate 10th Anniversary At Orlando Stadium In Soweto](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/5q3BQUqSAsxNKC5FjTA4EBplYhE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Bheki-PatrioticAlliance1_958119.jpg)

*Patriotic Alliance supporters celebrate the party’s 2023 10th anniversary at Orlando Stadium in Soweto. (Photo: Gallo Images / Rapport / Elizabeth Sejake)*

Alongside him, Andy Beukes (56) said, “This is why we both decided to vote for the PA in the upcoming elections.”

### Hijacked buildings, water and electricity

“Patriots, we are going to reclaim hijacked buildings. We have already started as the Patriotic Alliance,” said Kunene on Saturday.

“You have seen last week, we were showing videos where we have taken out an Angolan hijacker out of a house and put a South African family,” Kunene told the crowd.

Daily Maverick was unable to verify the claim.

On the City’s water and electricity problems, Kunene said usage continued to rise while the revenue the City collected was shrinking. He blamed the situation on hijacked buildings, informal settlements and illegal connections.

As a result, the municipality remained perpetually indebted, forever owing Eskom and Rand Water, and was trapped in a cycle of escalating demand and dwindling revenue, he said.

“You’ve got informal settlements that are not formalised where water is connected illegally, same as hijacked buildings where electricity is connected illegally,” Kunene said.

“Eskom does not see illegal connections. It \[just\] sees the consuming of electricity, that’s how they’re billing us,” said Kunene.

[BUDGET CRISIS

Joburg’s ‘unrealistic revenue targets’ led to R2bn unauthorised expenditure, Auditor-General finds

June 2, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/V1lBx9FZ3uHAx0W3mJpY-T_vJqM=/450x0/smart/file/attachments/orphans/Naledi-AGSA-COJcopy_154139.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-06-02-joburgs-unrealistic-revenue-targets-led-to-r2bn-unauthorised-expenditure-auditor-general-finds-/)

He said that if he were elected, he would implement a City motion to write off the debt of residents whose properties were valued at under R1-million.

“When I become mayor, I will implement municipal debt relief and write off the debt in 100 days. The people have demonstrated over the years that they cannot pay this debt. Our debtors’ book needs to be cleaned up so that people can start afresh and they can budget and plan for their future,” said Kunene.

### McKenzie backs ‘ruffian’

PA leader and Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie told the crowd that the party would focus on immigration. He claimed those who were opposed to the expulsion of illegal migrants were motivated by privilege.

“The people that want illegal immigrants to stay, they have medical aid, they don’t have housing problems. They don’t compete with illegal foreigners for housing. They don’t compete with illegal foreigners to get the kids into school because their kids go to private schools and private hospitals,” he said.

McKenzie said the reason the government had adopted a tough stance on illegal migration was because of his presence in government.

“They are going to leave,” he said.

“We are inside. We’ve moved the needle. I’m not sitting there and smiling the whole time in the Cabinet. I’m talking when it comes to illegal foreigners. I’m saying they must go, and under the leadership of Kunene they will go, trust me.”

He said Joburg needed a “ruffian” like Kunene. Kunene, like his party leader, has served time in prison. McKenzie said Kunene was the best candidate for the job, while tearing into DA candidate Helen Zille and labelling the latter the worst mayoral candidate for Johannesburg.

Kunene briefly stepped away from his MMC role in 2025 after he was found at the home of murder-accused and [alleged “Big Five” cartel member Katiso “KT” Molefe](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-07-23-kunene-would-never-get-involved-with-murders-says-mckenzie/) during a police raid. He was reinstated after being cleared by an internal PA inquiry. **DM**