Another politician in court over shooting a gun in public

Bitou Deputy Mayor, Nokuzola Kolwapi, must appear in court on 23 June 2026 to face a charge of discharging a firearm in public.

The charge relates to an incident at the end of 2025 in which Kolwapi allegedly shot a gun in public during a family gathering in Kwanokuthula, outside Plettenberg Bay.

A video of the incident, which has been widely circulated on social media, raised serious concerns among South Africans.

“When political and municipal leaders handle firearms recklessly, it normalises dangerous behaviour,” said Afriforum’s Jacques Broodryk.

“It sends a message to ordinary citizens that the law is optional. This is the type of conduct that fuels a culture of lawlessness.”

In December 2025, a criminal case was opened, and calls were made to the South African Police Service to conduct an independent investigation.

This incident follows shortly after the conviction of EFF leader Julius Malema in October 2025 on a similar charge, after he discharged a firearm in public in 2018.

This, according to AfriForum, highlighted a deeply concerning pattern of disregard for the law among political leaders.

“The fact that a senior political figure has already been convicted for the same conduct shows how little respect there is in certain quarters for the rule of law,” Broodryk said.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has also condemned the reckless discharge of a firearm by Kolwapi.

“South African society is plagued by high rates of violence, specifically gun violence,” the party said.

“A public display of guns only serves to publicise and legitimise the idea of violence associated with guns.”

“This is in addition to risking the lives and safety of those within the vicinity of the recklessly used firearm.”

The Bitou Local Municipality stated in a December 2025 statement that the event was a private Umgidi celebration.

Kolwapi also released a statement, claiming that the gun was a toy gun shooting blanks and that it had no ammunition to cause harm to the members of the community.