Kenny Kunene reads riot act to staffers

A few days after his re-appointment back into the City of Johannesburg mayoral committee, transport MMC Kenny Kunene has read the riot act to staff in a firm reclaim of his control of the department.

He confirmed he held a meeting with his executives at 6am and another with middle and junior staff at 12pm on Tuesday to lay down some ground rules.

Irritated staffers accused Kunene of subjecting them to a screaming match that lasted three hours.

One of his alleged complaints was that some of the staff did not call him or reach out when he was sitting at home after his resignation.

Kunene poured cold water on the accusations, saying he merely wanted to set the mandate after his return.

“All I did was question the things they were doing. I was talking about the flops and what is not being done in the department. People don’t even come to the office. It’s people who don’t want to work. I just pointed out that these are the things you were saying about me. I helped them, yet they stabbed me in the back when I was gone. It was very emotional; a lot of them were shocked.

“I told them I am not a politician who destroys families, I am not going to fire anyone. I told them they can continue with their work, but if they commit a crime or steal, they must face the music. I have even elevated people to study and get into senior positions. I didn’t even bring in a Patriotic Alliance person who has qualifications.

“I also reminded them that I have never fired anyone. But I leave for a month, and some of you don’t even answer my calls? I told them that they have taught me a lesson, which means I must start running the department like I am running a business.”

The MMC said he was not wrong in calling staff to order.

“You have seniors in the department running to panels on communication infrastructure, while neglecting panels that talk to road resurfacing and storm water, which is their core mandate or expertise.

“I told them when I first arrived that we must centralise our inventory. When I stop on the side of the road and find Joburg Roads Agency staff unable to work because they have no tools of trade, I asked what’s happening here? If people don’t perform, consequence management must take its course.”

Kunene insisted that all he did was crack the whip to get the department’s staff to do their jobs.

The transport boss said he was feeling the heat from a Monday mayoral committee meeting which criticised his department’s underwhelming performance, which he then sought to communicate to staff.

I also reminded them that I have never fired anyone. But I leave for a month, and some of you don’t even answer my calls? I told them that they have taught me a lesson, which means I must start running the department like I am running a business.

“The issue of key performance indicators is always raised; people are not reaching their targets. They are not performing. Going forward, on Monday, I want every department head to communicate their target for the week, which I will go through with the team. It must be linked to KPIs. By Friday, I want to know what you have achieved based on what you promised on Monday. I am going to micromanage them,” said Kunene.

The transport boss said he was running for the city’s top job, and he would be judged on his performance as MMC when he is in the contest for mayor.

“The processes that they run, the end result is service delivery. If they don’t perform, service delivery gets affected. And then who gets insulted? It’s me, the MMC. It’s my name. I’m the political accounting officer.

“I want to know what we are achieving. I told them we are going to local government elections, I am standing for the mayor of Johannesburg, and I am not going to be embarrassed by you people. I am going to be judged by the work I have done before I can make promises. So we are going to work,” he said.