BRIEFING 2 of 2023: Functional Central Firearms Registry key to dealing with illegal guns in SA
South Africa’s Central Firearms Registry (CFR) has the potential to be a powerful crime-fighting tool: If effectively managed – in line with SA’s legal and political obligations – it would help stop legal guns leaking into criminal hands.
However, SAPS sees the CFR as an administrative function, and has repeatedly squandered opportunities to address historic, systemic and persistent dysfunction.
Should the CFR […]
STATEMENT Underperformance and corruption at Central Firearms Registry fuels gun violence epidemic in SA
Cape Town, 11 July 2023: Against the backdrop of a protracted policing crisis around effectiveness and leadership, allegations of underperformance and corruption have for years dogged the Central Firearms Registry (CFR), the police unit responsible for firearms management, including firearm-related recordkeeping. Globally accurate and efficient recordkeeping, which tracks firearms from cradle to grave, is recognised as a cornerstone to effectively […]
STATEMENT: Crime stats – Deeply concerned by increase in gun-related crime, lack of attention to gun violence epidemic
The latest crime stats presented by SAPS to parliament show that gun-related crime has significantly increased e.g. gun-related murders have increased a staggering 35% from 23 people shot and killed a day in 2021-22 to 31 people a day in 2022-2023. GFSA was present during the presentation and deliberation by parliament and is deeply concerned by the lack of engagement […]
BRIEFING 1 of 2023: Class action aims for police accountability in firearms management
In February 2023 GFSA gave official notice that class action proceedings were to be instituted on behalf of affected families to hold the police accountable for deaths and injuries resulting from failed police-controlled firearms management systems.
This Briefing provides additional information on the class action, the ineffectuality of institutions to hold the police accountable, and the implications of this for firearms […]
STATEMENT: GFSA institutes class action against police for deaths and injuries allegedly resulting from corrupt, negligent firearms management
GFSA has given notice to the Minister of Police of class action proceedings in which damages will be sought from the Minister arising from deaths and injuries due to the actions of senior SAPS member Christiaan Prinsloo and David Naidoo who coordinated the sale of guns to gangs.
Says Adèle Kirsten, GFSA’s Director “As the virus of gun violence spreads, it’s […]
STATEMENT: Government must act decisively to prevent gun massacres
3 February 2023: The latest gun massacres in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal will not be the last if government again makes empty promises of action.
These same promises were made in July last year when 21 people were shot and killed and 20 injured in 3 separate shootings at taverns in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Government responded by deploying Crime Intelligence, […]
Guns are out of hand
Gun violence comes from many sides: murder, mischance, mistakes… but every shooting is avoidable – if there was no gun at all. With support from the Commonwealth Foundation, GFSA launched the #GunsoutofHand campaign during Global Disarmament Week 2022 (24-30 October), to tell the stories of ordinary South Africans whose lives have been instantly shattered by a gun.
“By showing […]
BRIEFING 3 of 2022: Using the principle of limits to stop SA’s gun violence epidemic
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.
GFSA’s 2020-21 Annual Report
GFSA’s latest annual report, reflecting on the years 2020 and 2021, is available.
Click here to download
RESPONSE: Tavern mass shootings
GFSA’s Director Adele Kirsten responds to the tavern shootings of 9 July:
