Video of Man Resembling Former Johannesburg Mayor Shooting Gun Resurfaces

• A video of a person resembling former Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad firing a gun into the air has resurfaced
• This was after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) President Julius Malema was sentenced to five years' imprisonment
• South Africans slammed the man for shooting the gun next to Al-Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks, as Amad previously denied that the man in the video was him

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG– Calls for citizens firing guns in public to be arrested increased after a video of a man resembling former Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad resurfaced. This, as Economic Freedom Fighters president Julius Malema was sentenced for firing a gun into the air in 2018.

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X user South African Sentinel posted the video on his @SentinelfromSA X account. In his caption, Sentinel called for justice to be delivered to Amad after Malema was sentenced in Ku-Gompo in the Eastern Cape on 16 April 2026. He also slammed Al-Jamah-ah president Ganief Hendricks, who was present at the shooting incident, and called for him to lose his position as the Deputy Minister of Social Development.

What happened in the video?

The video shows members of the public attending what appeared to be a funeral of a member of Al Jama-ah. A shot went off, and the video recorder pans to the side. A man resembling Amad is seen shooting the gun into the air. He then returns to sit next to Hendricks.

View the video on X here:

Amad previously denied shooting the video

According to The Citizen, Amad dismissed the video as a smear campaign. He said that the person in the video might look like him, but it was not him. The party's spokesperson, Nisa Hendricks, reiterated Amad’s comments.

Politicians and guns

Malema and the man resembling Amad are not the only political figures who are embroiled in gun-related charges. The deputy mayor of Bitou Local Municipality, Nokuzola Kolwapi, was in hot water after a video of her shooting a gun in the air during a traditional ceremony went viral in December 2025. The incident took place during her son's homecoming from initiation school. Kolwapi will be charged for contravening the Environmental Conservation Act.

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Meanwhile, the EFF said that the party will appeal the sentence after Malema was granted bail and released on a warning. The charges stem from an incident in which Malema received a rifle, allegedly from his bodyguard Adriaan Snyman, and fired it into the air. Snyman was also prosecuted with Malema. However, the state could not find sufficient evidence to convict him, and they acquitted him.

Democratic Alliance leader welcomes Malema sentencing

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the new leader of the Democratic Alliance, Geordin Hill-Lewis, welcomed Malema's sentencing. He said that bringing law and order to South Africa is the party's top priority.

Hill-Lewis said that gun violence in the country is out of control, and any illegal firearms crime should be taken seriously. He added that no one is above the law and that Malema's sentencing must restore faith in the criminal justice system.

Source: Briefly News