Viral footage showing Bitou Municipality Deputy Mayor and Ikhwezi Political Movement leader Nokuzola Kolwapi firing a gun into the air during a cultural celebration has drawn sharp criticism, even as she insists the gesture was a symbolic act of women “taking back power”.
Viral video and Kolwapi’s ‘taking back power’ defence
The incident happened on Sunday, 21 December, in KwaNokuthula township in Plettenberg Bay during her son Tsepiso Martin’s traditional Xhosa initiation ceremony.
In the video, Kolwapi is seen holding what appears to be a loaded weapon, firing several shots into the air while ululating as onlookers cheer.
Kolwapi later issued a statement saying the weapon was a replica toy gun used as part of the ulwaluko ritual and dismissed the backlash as politically driven.
“The act was a declaration that power held by women can be transformative,” she said, framing it as a statement about women’s authority in cultural spaces.
She linked the stunt to South Africa’s fight against gender-based violence, arguing that the “toy gun discharge” symbolised women reclaiming power and reaffirming their role as custodians of tradition rather than spectators.
Kolwapi accused rival political parties and community leaders of exploiting the clip to undermine a woman in a position of authority.
Gun groups slam ‘reckless’ example
Firearms advocacy organisations have condemned the deputy mayor’s conduct after the video spread on social media.
In widely shared clips, Kolwapi fires multiple shots with children visible nearby, some covering their ears as the sound echoes through the street.
Gun Free SA, Action Society and the National Association for Responsible Firearm Owners (Narfo) say the behaviour was dangerous regardless of whether the gun was real or a replica.
Gun Free SA’s executive director Dr Stanley Maphosa said “guns are not symbols of empowerment or cultural identity – they are weapons designed to kill,” warning that leaders discharging weapons at public events “trivialise dangerous behaviour and undermine efforts to curb gun violence”.
Action Society spokesperson Kaylynn Palm called the conduct “irresponsible and unacceptable”, saying firearms “are not ceremonial props; they are lethal weapons governed by legislation for a reason”.
Narfo founder Elmo Scheffer added that when senior officials appear to ignore firearm safety, it “damages public confidence not only in firearm regulation, but in governance itself” and urged that the matter “cannot be treated lightly”.
Scheffer noted that if the object is confirmed to be a firearm under the Firearms Control Act, negligent or reckless use could carry up to five years in prison, a fine, or both, and may lead to a declaration that the person is unfit to own a gun.
SAPS investigation and possible charges
Despite Kolwapi’s insistence that a toy gun was used, the South African Police Service has opened a case of pointing a firearm and is assessing further counts.
According to the KwaNokuthula detectives’ report, investigators are looking at potential charges of discharging a firearm in a public place and reckless endangerment, and are analysing video footage and witness statements to determine whether the Firearms Control Act was violated.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Christopher Spies said officers visited the premises after the clip circulated online and confirmed that no arrests had yet been made.
“The investigation is at an early stage, and no arrests have been made,” he said, adding that detectives will refer their findings to prosecutors once the probe is complete.
