‘That hooligan must be arrested’: Public outrage over Bitou Deputy Mayor Kolwapi's celebratory gunfire
Bitou Deputy Executive Mayor Nokuzola Kolwapi is facing criminal charges and widespread condemnation after a video emerged appearing to show her discharging a firearm during a celebratory gathering in KwaNokuthula, Western Cape
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The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape has reacted angrily to a circulating video showing the Deputy Executive Mayor of the Bitou Local Municipality, Nokuzola Kolwapi, discharging a firearm during a celebration in the street.
What was meant to be a ceremony honoring a cultural milestone has instead left a community in a state of profound shock and disgust. What began as a traditional "mgidi" ceremony for Kolwapi’s son quickly spiraled into a scene of reckless endangerment that has been widely condemned across South Africa.
The catalyst for the outcry is a viral video that has left viewers recoiling. In the footage, Kolwapi—the leader of the Ikhwezi Political Movement (IPM)—is seen dancing amidst a jubilant crowd before casually hoisting a handgun and firing multiple live rounds into the air.
The most sickening detail for many is the presence of young children in the immediate vicinity, seen in the video covering their ears as the deputy mayor continues to fire. The brazen disregard for life in a densely populated area has sparked a wave of revulsion, with many questioning how a high-ranking official could act with such terrifying impulsivity.
ANC Western Cape provincial spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni said: “Those are criminal acts, she behaves like a hooligan, a charlatan in public. Discharging a firearm in public is a criminal offence. We have seen a politician (EFF leader Julius Malema) being convicted for doing the very same things.
“We also want to put it on record that she is not an ANC member, she is not an ANC councillor, she is not an ANC deputy mayor. The ANC has called on law enforcement agencies to investigate this. A case has been opened at the Kwa-Nokuthula police station. We want her arrested, we want her removed from council,” Mtsweni told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Monday.
The reaction from the public and civic organizations has been one of unmitigated outrage. Social media platforms have been flooded with comments from horrified citizens who argue that cultural tradition can never be used as a shield for such life-threatening behavior.
As of Monday morning, December 22, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that criminal cases for pointing a firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place have been opened.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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