Kenny Kunene, Deputy President of the Patriotic Alliance and MMC for Roads and Transport in the City of Johannesburg, has come under scrutiny on social media after a video circulated appearing to show him overseeing the dismantling of a Ramadaan greeting billboard. The video has triggered discontented responses on social media given the holy month.
According to the City of Johannesburg, the removal forms part of a campaign targeted against illegal outdoor advertising.
Speaking to VOC News, Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat, Deputy Secretary General of The United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA), has attributed the social media backlash to the constant defence of Zionism by Kunene and his party.
“This story has resulted in a social media backlash from within the Muslim community, considering that Kenny Kunene and his party have been at the forefront of not only defending but also promoting Zionism and the genocide in Gaza,” stated Moulana Ravat.
Moulana Ravat further queries under which title Kunene was operating during the removal of the advertisement, whether this law is being consistently applied, and also the urgency of removing billboards in a City undergoing numerous crises.
“It needs to be ascertained in what capacity was he undertaking this, does it fall within his ambit directly as the MMC? Is it purely about administering the law, if indeed this was illegally placed. Is it consistent, is this law being consistently applied, or is it being applied during a period that is holy to the Muslims or during an area where these types of billboards are to be found in greater number. Also, a question that needs interrogation is to what extent is removal of billboards being prioritised over more urgent and pressing issues to the residents of the area,” questioned Moulana Ravat.
Photo: Screenshot
