Gun Free SA, Sonke Gender Justice and Women’s Legal Centre launch campaign “Know the Law, Use the Law, Save a Life: Domestic Violence and Dangerous Weapons”
As we celebrate another Women’s Month in South Africa, violence against women continues unabated. For many families there is little cause for celebration: the family of Sowela Nkuna, killed by her police husband in Alexandra in June this year and the family of Reeva Steenkamp, as the person responsible for her death, Oscar Pistorius, is due for release after less […]
Applaud SA destruction of firearms on International Gun Destruction Day
Gun Free SA applauds the state’s destruction of firearms today, International Gun Destruction Day. Today’s destruction represents an act of solidarity with all those whose lives have been devastated by gun violence, it demonstrates South Africa’s compliance with international practice regarding the destruction of firearms, and ensures that they can never find their way back into circulation – to kill, […]
Marikana’s Farlam Commission fails to save lives by banning R-5s in crowd control
Social justice activist organisation Amandla.Mobi and Gun Free SA are deeply disappointed that the Farlam Commission of Enquiry’s report into the 2012 Marikana massacre makes no recommendation to prohibit R-5 rifles – the assault weapon used by police to kill 34 miners – in Public Order Policing.
STATEMENT: Marikana’s Farlam commission fails to save lives by banning R-5s […]
Police leaving service guns at work would save lives
Gun Free SA urges government to protect police and their families by legislating members to leave service pistols at work when off duty. Gun Free SA’s call follows the shooting to death of 5 people on Wednesday night, when a police constable shot and killed his girlfriend, two of her relatives and a police colleague at Alexandra police station as […]
Response to SA Football Association’s Gun Control Campaign
Gun Free SA supports the Gun Control Campaign launched by the South African Football Association (SAFA) this morning in honour of Senzo Meyiwa and the 17 other people shot and killed every day in South Africa.
STATEMENT: Response to the SA Football Association’s gun control campaign
Welcome ANC call for stricter gun laws to reduce gun violence
Gun Free SA welcomes the ANC’s call this morning to “review existing gun control measures with a view to limiting access to guns that end [up] in the wrong hands,” and reducing the number of illegal guns on South African streets.
STATEMENT: Welcome ANC call for stricter gun laws to reduce gun violence
Police Act key to ensuring cops firearm fit
Gun Free SA calls for the South African Police Service (SAPS) Act to include a consolidated section dealing specifically with police and firearms in response to the Police Minister’s disclosure that a quarter of the police officers required to carry a firearm are not competent to do so. In a written reply to a parliamentary question, Mr Nhleko reported that […]
Call for moratorium on gun licences and forensic audit of Central Firearms Registry
Gun Free SA urges the Minster of Police to place a moratorium on the issuing of new firearm licences and to conduct a forensic audit of all firearm licences issued since 2010. The arrest of three police officers from the Central Firearms Registry for allegedly issuing fake gun licences including to 28s gang kingpin Ralph Stanfield highlights the unreliability of […]
Condemn arms scandal in which corrupt policemen allegedly supplied amnesty arms and ammunition to criminals
Gun Free SA calls for a thorough investigation into how firearms handed in by the public during the 2010 national firearms amnesty have been found in an arms cache discovered in Norwood last month; for every person found guilty of involvement to face the full might of the law as a warning to others; and for every oversight body responsible […]
Proof – South Africa’s Firearms Control Act has saved thousands of lives
Evidence that SA’s Firearms Control Act (2000) has saved thousands of lives has been presented at the University of Oxford. The research, which was published in the March 2014 edition of the reputable American Journal of Public Health, was presented at the South African Democracy Conference at the University of Oxford by specialist scientist, Dr Richard Matzopoulos, who showed that […]
