The safety of all who live in South Africa will continue to be at risk of gun violence because neither the police nor gun owners have acted expediently on the national firearms amnesty, which ends on 31 January. The police have done very little to publicise and encourage the public to take advantage of the 6-month amnesty, which started on 1 August 2020. At the same time, thousands of gun owners have failed to show that they are responsible, with just 5% of the 450,000+ firearms for which licences have expired and which are now illegally held having been handed in to the police, either for destruction or while applying for a new licence. The Supreme Court of Appeal has warned that “there is a real risk that some or many of these firearms, which are now illegally in the possession of their owners, may be stolen or lost and end up in the hands of criminals who may injure or kill others.”
Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) is a South African NGO committed to reducing gun violence through public policy advocacy, education, awareness and community mobilisation.
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Filing a protection order can be tricky. Watch @mosiacngo share key tips to build a strong case. MOSAIC Court Support Workers are available in 15 Courts in the WC, but you can also bring a friend or relative to help. https://gfsa.org.za/2018/12/12/remove-a-gun-in-a-case-of-domestic-violence/ #GunFreeSA
This Valentine’s Day, we remember Reeva Steenkamp, whose life was tragically cut short 12 years ago. A gun in the hand of her boyfriend took her from us, and her story remains a stark reminder of the deadly role firearms play in intimate partner violence. https://gfsa.org.za/2018/12/12/remove-a-gun-in-a-case-of-domestic-violence/