CELEBRATING: 30 years of saving lives from gun violence
On 16 December 1994, a young man handed an assault rifle to a minister in a Johannesburg church. The minister was Peter Storey, and the gun was surrendered as part of a national firearms amnesty organised with President Nelson Mandela’s support to promote peace following South Africa’s first democratic elections on 27 April that year. Gun Free SA was formally […]
A nation without guns? The story of Gun Free South Africa
Adèle Kirsten, Gun Free SA’s Director, tells the remarkable story of how Gun Free South Africa, a small NGO with few resources, mobilized to reduce the number of guns in circulation. Through innovative campaigning and media strategies, the book highlights the value of involving ordinary people in a process […]
Founding member of global gun control network
In May 1999 a broad-based international civil society network, the International Action Network on Small Arms, was launched. Gun Free SA was a founding member of IANSA and remains an active member. Being part of IANSA provides us with the opportunity to highlight successes and impact and learn from other countries and actions around the world aimed at reducing […]
Constitutional Court ruling: Gun ownership is a privilege, not a right
GFSA acted as amicus curiae (friend of the court) in a 2018 case in which the Minister of Police appealed a High Court judgment which challenged the constitutionality of regular gun licence renewals.
Using evidence provided by GFSA, the ConCourt unanimously ruled that gun ownership is not a fundamental right under our Bill of Rights, rather it is a privilege regulated […]
Risks of guns
Gun Free SA has helped raise awareness of the risks of guns and how the Firearms Control Act can be used to save a life.
One of our most powerful advertising campaigns entitled ‘if your stolen gun was there, so were you’ highlights that one of the risks of having a gun is the risk for loss and theft, thereby […]
Supporting the 2010 National Firearms Amnesty
As South Africa geared itself to host the FIFA World Cup, Gun Free SA kicked off 2010 by partnering with the Secretariat for Police on the 2010 national firearms amnesty.
During the amnesty, held from 11 January to 11 April 2010, the public was given immunity from prosecution for being in illegal possession of firearms or ammunition.
Gun Free […]
