Supporters of former Bitou deputy mayor and Ikhwezi Political Movement (IPM) leader Nokuzola Kolwapi filled the Bitou magistrate’s court on Tuesday, wearing orange T-shirts and waiting for hours as her case was postponed once again.
Party members began arriving as early as 9am, filling the building and the area outside.
Almost every bench in the corridors was occupied, while others stood waiting. The matter got under way shortly after noon.
The case was postponed to December 11 after prosecutor Elman Kruger told the court that two state witnesses could not attend.
The first, Welcome Tyhala, submitted a doctor’s note, saying he was medically unfit to appear.
The second, whose name was not mentioned in court, was reportedly grieving the death of her father.
The postponement means the matter will continue into another month, after several previous appearances and delays.
At the previous appearance, on October 27, the state applied for the firearm to be taken to a shooting range for assessment by experts to help the court establish the circumstances of the alleged discharge.
Defence attorney Jaypee Louw said the two state witnesses should be heard first.
The magistrate indicated that a decision on the assessment should be reserved until after they had testified.
Kolwapi’s case stems from an incident in December 2025 during her son’s traditional homecoming celebration in KwaNokuthula.
A video showing her allegedly discharging what appeared to be a firearm in a public area circulated on social media, attracting public attention.
She was charged with contravening the Western Cape noise control regulations under the Environment Conservation Act.
Kolwapi maintains that the object in the video was a toy gun and denies discharging a real firearm.
She first appeared in court on June 23 2026. Since then, the case has been delayed by consultations, outstanding evidence and the appointment of an independent prosecutor.
Outside court, IPM spokesperson Lawrence Luiters said the case had distracted the party from its political work and affected its ability to campaign fully ahead of the local government elections.
He said the party had continued campaigning despite the challenges and retained its seat.
“We pushed through and retained our seat, regardless,” he said.
Addressing the crowd outside, Kolwapi said people with personal vendettas against her were using the courts to settle scores.
“People who have personal vendettas against me are using the courts to settle scores. However, I will prevail,” she said.
She also criticised what she described as the use of the justice system against black people.
“Courts are still being used as places to squash black people, but instead we multiply,” she said.
The Herald