A viral video has ignited fresh anger and renewed debate about gun violence in South Africa, after a man who resembles former Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad was seen firing seven shots into the air beside a coffin before calmly sitting next to Al Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks.
The footage, which has spread widely online, shows the moment after the shots are fired, with the man then taking a seat beside Hendricks. But Amad has moved quickly to deny that it is him. He dismissed the clip as a smear campaign and said the person in the video may look like him, but is not him.
According to Al Jama-ah’s Facebook page, the alleged incident took place when senior party leaders were attending a funeral in Soweto last August. At the time, Amad was among the leaders in attendance, and he is currently both the party’s leader in Johannesburg and the current MMC for community development.
When contacted for comment, Amad did not initially offer a long response. He asked to see the video. Afterwards, he said: “The person in the video might be looking like me, but is not me.”
Al Jama-ah spokesperson Nisa Hendricks confirmed that the party had raised the matter with Amad in the same way he responded to media queries. She said: “We understand that Thapelo Amad spoke to you. The party has done the same and Thapelo denied the allegations. He told you that it was a smear campaign against him.”
Asked whether Al Jama-ah would investigate the matter further, Hendricks did not respond.
The video’s details have also been used by viewers to question Amad’s denial. Pictures 1 and 2 show a man in a leather-type jacket, with red and green flashes visible on the arms. He is also wearing black trousers and shoes, and appears with a black and white cap.
After the shots, the man is shown sitting next to Ganief Hendricks in picture 3. The jacket, according to the comparisons drawn from the footage, appears identical to one worn by Amad later that day at another Al Jama-ah function, shown in picture 4. These similarities are part of what has fuelled online speculation and concern.
Amad is not new to controversy involving firearms and political messaging. In 2023, he was criticised after he posted two images of himself on X carrying a rifle. In the caption, he said: “We stand with Hamas; it stands with us. Together we are Palestine and Palestine will be free,” and the post was shared widely enough to draw backlash. After he realised he was being criticised, he deleted the post.
Last year, another video went viral involving alleged gunfire during a traditional ceremony. In that case, Bitou local municipality deputy mayor Nokuzola “Noksi” Kolwapi was accused of firing shots into the air from a pistol. The latest clip involving the man resembling Amad has brought these issues back into public focus, with many questioning what message such acts send in political spaces—and at funerals, in particular.
Political analyst Theo Neethling said that a serving politician firing a gun at a public funeral exposes deeper problems in South African political culture and governance. He warned that it “normalises lawlessness, risks polarising communities, and forces parties to choose between disciplining the member or appearing to tolerate violence”.
“The incident also threatens public safety and can embolden armed actors, undermining efforts to curb crime and stabilise communities. How authorities respond will be decisive,” said Neethling.
He added: “A prompt, transparent police investigation and impartial prosecution would affirm the rule of law and signal that no-one is above it.
“Delays or light-touch sanctions would reinforce perceptions of elite impunity and weaken trust in justice.
“Political parties, civil society and the media must demand accountability and stricter firearm enforcement to restore norms and public confidence.”
Neethling said the incident also reminded him of the case involving EFF leader Julius Malema, who was charged and convicted after a similar pattern of alleged firearm-related conduct. Neethling referred to Malema being found guilty in October last year of multiple charges, including the unlawful discharge of a firearm in a built-up area and reckless endangerment. He also pointed to an earlier 2018 incident where Malema fired a rifle at a rally in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape.
“Both cases highlight how leaders’ actions set civic norms, force parties to choose between discipline and protection of their brand and test public confidence in policing and the justice system,” Neethling said.
“And we hope that the law will take its course, that charges will be laid, and that there will be justice in this case.
“It’s just a matter of time before some innocent children will be hit and killed by these stray bullets fired by these people.”
While Amad denies involvement, experts say the larger risk is what gunshots into the air can do—regardless of intent. Willem Els, a criminologist from the Institute for Security Studies, said the Malema case highlighted the dangers of this kind of behaviour.
“Remember, when you fire a gun into the air, there are good chances that innocent people in the vicinity might be hit and killed by the shots,” said Els.
For now, Amad’s supporters and opponents alike are watching for whether police will investigate the viral footage and whether any charges will follow. The dispute over identity—whether the man in the clip is Amad or not—has already turned the story into a test of credibility, accountability, and political responsibility, especially in communities where guns and funeral violence are already sources of fear.
As South Africans digest the clip and the competing claims, the central question remains: what happens next—and whether authorities, parties, and law enforcement can restore public confidence through decisive action.
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