Kunene says not threatened by Zille as Joburg mayoral race heats up

Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Kenny Kunene, says he is not threatened by the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Helen Zille, who is a contender for the top job.

Both politicians will be the faces of their respective party campaigns ahead of the upcoming local government elections.

Kunene was recently confirmed as the PA's candidate after being cleared of suspicious links to alleged underworld figure Katiso 'KT' Molefe.

He was found at Molefe's home when police pounced on the house to arrest him for allegedly orchestrating the murder of Oupa John Sefoka, known to many as DJ Sumbody.

Kunene spoke to journalists on the sidelines of a service delivery programme in Soweto on Wednesday.

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In recent years, the DA and the PA have increasingly become rivals, often competing for the same voter base in several parts of the country.

In recent by-elections in Johannesburg, the PA has been gaining ground in areas traditionally dominated by the DA, while some DA wards in the Western Cape are beginning to show signs of vulnerability.

Kunene believes the DA's decision to field Zille as its mayoral candidate will not significantly impact the outcome of next year's elections.

"They are bringing a reject of Cape Town. Helen Zille could not perform in Cape Town. She worked for the suburbs. She does not even have a house here [in Johannesburg]. So how is she going to deal with the issues of Johannesburg when she doesn't even know them?"

In 2008, Zille was recognised as World Mayor of the year by the international think tank, City Mayors Foundation.

However, Kunene is adamant she underperformed as Cape Town mayor.