GOOD Party takes aim at Ian Cameron's gun use in townships
National Assembly chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police Ian Cameron was attacked in Philippi-East.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Newspapers
The GOOD Party's Brett Herron will challenge the Western Cape Legislature's Conduct Committee ruling against him, claiming it followed a "dubious quasi-legal process" regarding his concerns about DA MP Ian Cameron carrying a gun for party work in townships.
Herron claims the committee's finding, based on an anonymous, heavily-redacted complaint, resulted from a "secret hearing" where he was not invited to attend and denied the right to be heard, violating the principle of audi alteram partem.
He argues the matter is outside the committee's jurisdiction and will appeal to the Appeals Committee and seek guidance from the National Assembly Speaker on elected representatives carrying firearms during oversight or party work.
The controversy stems from an August 2025 incident where DA MP Ian Cameron, traveling with two colleagues, MP Nicholas Gotsell and Lisa Schickerlinf to a high-crime area in Philippi, used his licensed firearm to defend the group after they came under attack.
Herron, in a previous statement, criticized the incident, linking it to the DA's alleged failure in Cape Town and suggesting the celebration of Cameron's actions reinforced racial divisions. Cameron has publicly confirmed his affinity for guns, calling himself 'gun-loving' and interested in 'sport shooting.'
"The trio duly came under attack, and Cameron used his gun to get them out of what sounds like serious trouble. He was hailed by his right-wing fans on social media as a latter-day folk hero," Herron said.
"I responded to these events with a statement, issued in my capacity as the Secretary-General of the GOOD party, making the point that the incident contradicted the DA’s claim to be running Cape Town exceptionally well – Philippi clearly isn’t run at all well. Pointing out that Cameron had been hailed in conservative circles for shooting a Black youth, which reinforced old divisions, the statement termed the event reminiscent “of the apartheid propaganda films depicting ‘civilised Whites’ with guns overpowering ‘Black savagery’.”
Herron claims Cameron has a 'love of shooting': "Cameron self-identifies as gun-loving and right-wing.
"He publicly confirmed his love of guns as recent as October 14, 2025, when challenged by a colleague on Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee into the criminal justice system on the appropriateness of his wearing the lanyard of a firearm company. He also had the lanyards of other firearm companies, he said. “I like shooting… sport shooting especially,” he said.
"His political leanings are clear from the posts all over social media of him, in blackface, evidently representing Afriforum, protesting against alleged White victimisation in the education system.
"The Conduct Committee published (ATC’d) their report on March 3, 2026."
In response, Cameron defended his decision to carry a gun, arguing he chose not to "waste scarce police resources" on an escort and that his actions were responsible citizenship, especially given the high crime rate.
"I deliberately chose not to waste scarce police resources on protecting me while ordinary South Africans face violence and bloodshed every day without that luxury," said Cameron.
"If Mr Herron believes politicians should receive that level of protection, then should the Speaker of the National Assembly also provide escorts to every South African living in dangerous communities?
DA MP Nicholas Gotsell, who was injured in the attack, called Herron's response "desperate and laughable," accusing him of "hate speech" and "racialized language to divide."
"I will lodge a further complaint against Herron, firstly for undermining the dignity of Parliament, and also for repeating the same rhetoric that got him sanctioned in the first place - and using the same language which PEPUDA prohibits," Gotsell said.
"I will also take Mr Herron’s continued race-bating to the Public Protector to rule on. The Western Cape struggles with real issues every day; members like Herron and their race-based politics only detract from it."
The attack on Cameron and his colleagues, which involved bricks and resulted in Gotsell sustaining a fractured skull and one suspect being shot, led to the arrest of two teenagers (18 and 16) for attempted hijacking.