The City of Johannesburg's Transport member of the mayoral committee (MMC) Kenny Kunene has raised ire in some quarters after he personally sponsored bucket loads of expensive French champagne, Moët & Chandon, for Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) staff during a women’s month function last week.
Kunene and his wife, Nonkululeko, sponsored R15,000 out of their own pockets towards the French champagne, cognac, whiskey and a booming sound system for the workers to mark the occasion.
The City of Johannesburg paid for the food at the event which honoured pothole repairers, women bus drivers and other low-paid workers in the transport sector of the City.
Kunene was greeted with loud cheers, ululating and chants of “Kenny” as he also announced that there were ciders, cognac and whiskey for those who did not like champagne.
In videos published on X (formerly known as Twitter), Kunene is seen with a boot full of champagne in his SUV vehicle before making a toast, saying he wanted to host them the same way politicians hosted each other.
“I used the Metrobus academy centre as the venue and the city only paid for the food. I bought additional soft drinks and French champagne. All 55 tables had champagne, Moët to be specific, at my cost. I even bought Hennessy and whiskey for them,” Kunene said, according to TimesLive.
“I paid for the entertainment and got couches so those who are tired of sitting at the round tables can relax. I declared these things before the event started. I am unapologetic for celebrating the people who are not celebrated.”
Kunene is the deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance (PA).
His party is in a rocky coalition with the African National Congress, Economic Freedom Fighters, the Congress of the People and Al Jama-ah, with ActionSA trying in vain to bring the Democratic Alliance and the PA to the same table.
Kunene, who is also known as the sushi king, is then recorded making an announcement that he and his wife Nonkululeko have personally sponsored the expensive booze for the JRA staff.
The DA’s Joburg caucus leader, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku condemned Kunene’s behaviour as a “vulgar display of excess by the PA”.
The DA said it was for such reasons that it would not work with the PA as a coalition partner.
“While roads are literally exploding in the Joburg CBD, the PA has turned the JRA into a feeding trough for excess and political vulgarity. The DA will further urgently submit a request in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to determine how much taxpayer money was wasted on the PA’s champagne party,” said Kayser-Echeozonjuku.
“What we see in this video, is the essence of the PA. A party that is nothing but an extension of ANC misrule and vulgarity presiding over the collapse of Johannesburg.
“This disgusting behaviour vindicates the DA’s principled commitment to not partnering with the PA under any circumstances. The DA offers an alternative to the ANC. The PA is an alternative version of the ANC,” she said.
The DA said it was pushing ahead in its attempt to have the Joburg city council legally dissolved on November 2.
Meanwhile, Kunene appeared at the Joburg city council on Tuesday.
According to News24, he told council that he had bought the champagne to celebrate women at the JRA function.
"I held a function that honoured and celebrated women. Post that celebration, I celebrated in my own way - the Kenny Kunene way," Kunene was quoted saying.
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