By Johnathan Paoli
The leader of the Ikhwezi People’s Movement (IPM) and Deputy Mayor of the Bitou Municipality, Western Cape, Nokuzola Kolwapi, has strongly defended herself against allegations that she discharged a firearm during a public ceremony in Plettenberg Bay, insisting that the object seen in a widely circulated social media video was a replica and not a real gun.
In a media statement issued on Monday, Kolwapi said the footage was recorded during her son’s ulwaluko, a sacred Xhosa initiation ceremony marking the transition into manhood, and that the controversy surrounding the video had been deliberately politicised.
She accused the ANC and what she described as “bogus so-called local community leaders” of exploiting the moment to score political points.
Kolwapi said the backlash was not only about the object in her hand, but about deeply rooted discomfort with women occupying visible positions of cultural and political authority.
“The fact that this act was performed by a woman has unsettled some, and that reaction itself deserves reflection. For generations, power, ritual authority, and public symbolism have been narrowly defined along patriarchal lines,” she said.
She framed the incident within the broader context of South Africa’s social crisis, particularly gender-based violence, arguing that the symbolism of the moment had been misunderstood.
Kolwapi said the act was not a threat but a declaration that called for raising sons to honour life rather than dominate it.
“There is no contradiction between celebrating culture and condemning violence,” she said, emphasising that women are “custodians and architects” of culture, not guests within it.
Kolwapi reaffirmed her commitment to building a society where cultural traditions can evolve without losing their essence, where women’s authority is respected, and where safety for women is not something that must be constantly demanded through protest or mourning.
The statement was issued amid a growing public outcry following the circulation of videos allegedly showing Kolwapi firing shots into the air during a ceremony welcoming initiates back home in KwaNokuthula, near Plettenberg Bay.
Western Cape police have since confirmed that an investigation is under way.
Police spokesperson Colonel Chris Spies said KwaNokuthula police opened an inquiry into a case of pointing a firearm after the video surfaced on social media. Officers visited the premises where the incident allegedly took place to gather preliminary information.
Spies said the investigation remains at an early stage and no arrests have been made, adding that police are still assessing the circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether a real firearm was involved.
Kolwapi serves as the Deputy Mayor of the Bitou Local Municipality and is also the president and political leader of the Ikhwezi People’s Movement, a relatively new political party with growing visibility in parts of the Western Cape.
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