The latest quarterly crime statistics confirm the gun violence epidemic in South Africa: 30 people were murdered with a gun every day between 1 April and 30 June 2022, up from 23 a day in 2019/20. Briefing 3 summarises the latest statistics on gun violence in South Africa, as well as studies that offer solutions to our gun violence epidemic.

Crime statistics for January to March 2022 confirm that violent crime in South Africa continues to rise.

In this context of high levels of crime, a weak criminal justice system, proposed amendments to tighten gun controls (including banning guns for self-defence), as well as forceful marketing by the firearms industry that guns are effective for self-defence, we can expect gun sales […]

Femicide – the murder of women and girls – is the most extreme form of violence, and shows a country’s magnitude of violence against women.

South Africa’s third national femicide study looks at how femicide has changed over an 18 year period, comparing data from 1999, 2009 and 2017.

The findings of the Medical Research Council’s 2017 femicide study include that:

• While SA’s […]

Briefing 4 summarises South Africa’s 2nd injury mortality survey which analyses 2017 mortuary data.  The survey gives a snapshot of who, how, where and when people died including detailed information on the weapon used in murder or suicide.

The main findings of the 2017 injury mortality survey include that:

‒             More people were murdered than died […]

In May 2021 the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service published a draft Firearms Control Amendment Bill. With almost 100 proposed amendments, a key focus of the Bill is to control legal firearms and ammunition more effectively. This Briefing explores whether that approach will have an impact on the illegal firearms trade in South Africa, and is based on a recently […]