Gun Free South Africa has warned that South Africa is developing a dangerous culture of reckless firearm glorification after police arrested two men linked to viral videos showing women casually handling unlicensed firearms.
The warning comes after the South African Police Service tracked down and arrested two suspects in Tembisa following outrage over social media footage showing women waving and posing with firearms in what police described as reckless and negligent behaviour.
During the operation, police not only seized the firearms seen in the video, but also discovered the suspects were in possession of a hijacked vehicle.
Gun Free South Africa spokesperson Stanley Maphosa said the incident exposed a growing normalisation of firearms in social spaces despite the country’s ongoing gun violence crisis.
“The incident really reveals some troubling realities. First of all, there is a misconception that firearms are symbols of safety, power, and status, and they can even be used for entertainment, when actually, firearms were designed to kill and to inflict harm,” said Maphosa.
He warned that the casual display of weapons for amusement and online attention reflected a dangerous erosion of public safety awareness.
“Secondly, it shows how normalised and unsafe the firearm behaviour has become in some of the spaces,” he said.
Maphosa said the incident also challenged the commonly used argument that responsible gun ownership alone was enough to prevent firearm-related harm.
“It also exposes the limits of relying on the notion that says there are people who are responsible gun owners.
“Because people make mistakes, they act emotionally, they behave recklessly, and they become negligent and therefore, public safety must account for all those realities,” he said.
He added that the incident reflected a broader societal problem around firearms in South Africa.
“From the standpoint of Gun Free South Africa, this is not simply one reckless incident. It's about a broader culture that will become comfortable around lethal weapons in a country that is already having intolerable burdens of gun violence.”
The incident comes amid growing national scrutiny over the public display and reckless use of firearms involving politicians and public figures.
Last month, Bitou Municipality Deputy Executive Mayor Nokuzola “Noksi” Kolwapi was criminally charged after a viral video allegedly showed her firing multiple shots into the air during a celebration in KwaNokuthula.
The charges relate to alleged contraventions of the Firearms Control Act and the negligent handling and discharging of a firearm in a public place.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema was also convicted in 2025 for unlawfully discharging a firearm during the party’s anniversary rally in Mdantsane, with prosecutors arguing that the reckless public use of firearms normalised dangerous behaviour.
Against growing concern over the reckless public use of firearms, police moved swiftly to track down the men linked to the latest viral gun video.
The arrests followed a tracing operation by SAPS Gauteng Crime Intelligence after the videos circulated widely on social media.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said officers tracked the suspects to Tembisa, where they were arrested and the firearms confiscated.
“Following the circulation of the video, SAPS Gauteng Crime Intelligence launched a tracing operation which led officers to Tembisa, Gauteng, where the suspects were located and arrested.
“The firearms seen in the video were seized by police and preliminary investigations reveal that the firearms are unlicensed,” said Mathe.
Police said the two suspects, aged 21 and 34, now face charges relating to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, contravention of the Firearms Control Act and possession of a hijacked motor vehicle.
Gauteng Crime Intelligence is also continuing investigations to identify and trace the women seen in the viral footage.
Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane said the arrests sent a strong warning that reckless firearm handling and public displays of weapons would not be tolerated and that police would act decisively against those breaking the law.
Police have also warned members of the public that reckless handling and public display of firearms constitutes a serious criminal offence that places lives at risk.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court this week.
The Star
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