Should I bring a knife to a gun fight?
“No firearm licences may be issued
for self-defence purposes”
The cat’s out of the bag. The proposed bill, a long and complicated document, reads… “to provide that no firearm licences may be issued for self-defence purposes”. This part of the sentence has the nation up in arms… well, more specifically, those who own guns for the purpose of defending themselves and their loved ones against evil.
The Firearm Amendment Bill was published in the Government Gazette on Friday 21 May. The draft Bill seeks to amend the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000). Read more on: https://www.saps.gov.za/resource_centre/notices/downloads/invitation_for_public_comment_draft_notice_in_gazette_2021.pdf
Self-defence
Self-defence is the defence of one’s person or interests, especially through the use of physical force, which is permitted in certain cases as an answer to a charge of violent crime.
In more latent terms, if you’re life is danger, or that of your loved one… you will do everything in your power to make sure no harm is done. However, if you take away a gun owner’s firearm, with what must he/she defend him/herself against an attacker with a gun? A knife? Run all the way over to the gunman and try to jab him? Maybe throw a stone at him, or a Batman star? Go for the throat or groin? Try a Jackie Chan move?
What about farmers and farm workers? Ask the perp politely not to rape the women and children, and throw them with a mielie? They will become sitting ducks…
The proposed law would definitely do away with the CFR’s backlog...
A video and photos on 15 May posted on Facebook about the filing system at the Central Firearms Registry (CFR) is an abomination! If you want to find your application, be my guest – see you in 100 years!
Amnesty… I’m sure all the bad guys handed in their guns.
Why? Because the cops asked them to!
In January all media outlets highlighted SAPS’ plea when they reminded the public to surrender their illegal and unwanted firearms, firearm parts, or ammunition without fear of being persecuted. The deadline for the firearm amnesty was Sunday 31 January 2021. From 1 August 2020 up to two weeks before the deadline 23,399 firearms and 119,781 rounds of ammunition were surrendered. Of the firearms surrendered, 3,139 were voluntarily handed in by their legal owners while 20,260 – for which licenses have expired – were handed in. Subsequent to this, 23,724 rounds of ammunition were also voluntarily handed over to police including 96,057 rounds of ammunition that were surrendered by owners whose firearm licenses had expired.
What happens with your gun when you give it to the cops?
I’m not really sure… But… The divisional commissioner of operational response services lieutenant general Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, on behalf of the National Commissioner of South African Police Service (SAPS) general khehla John Sitole, oversaw the destruction of 35,069 firearms at Cape Gate Wire and Steel Manufactures in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng on Friday 28 January.
So, whose got the firepower?
The bad guys, the police and security companies.
Our beloved country…
We are burdened by the social ills accompanied by Covid-19. Unemployment – based on the expanded definition – stands at 42,6% as per the Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Approximately 18 million South Africans depend on some form of a social grant to live. Sweat and sorrow… against an option of buying a gun for R50 in a dark back-alley, which could change your financial predicament if you use it in a robbery...
What can you do?
All interested persons and organisations are invited to submit written comments on the draft Bill and Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System Report no later than 45 days from date of publication of this notice by – (i) e-mail to:
comments.fcabill@csp.gov.za
Provide your name, surname, postal and e-mail address, telephone and fax number.
They want your details and what you say… so make it count.
Don’t wait – send the email NOW! Seriously, this is no joke.
Even if you added your vote to a group, it might not count, you have to make a personal comment.
As inwoner van Thabazimbi wil ek die gemeenskap pleit om die waansinnige voorgestelde wet op vuurwapens teen te staan.
Die gevolge wat dit vir inwoners, sportklubs, die jagbedryf, die ammunisie vervaardiging bedryf ensovoort het, en ons veiligheid inhou, is astronomies.
Met ‘n ongeveerde 58 mense wat per dag in Suid-Afrika vermoor word, en ongeveer 163 mense wat per dag in Suid-Afrika seksueel aangerand word, en met ‘n ongeveerde totale syfer van 6,403 daaglikse kriminele aktiwiteite (en dit is slegs die getalle wat gerapporteer word), is dit baie kommerwekkend dat die regering Suid-Afrikaners se reg tot self-verdediging met ‘n vuurwapen wil ontneem.
Die wysiging op die wet sal alle Suid-Afrikaners en wettige wapen eienaars as ‘n kwesbare teiken agterlaat. Dit is my persoonlike pleidooi dat ELKE Suid-Afrikaner NOU hande vat en saam staan teen die voorgestelde wysiging op die vuurwapen wet.
Ons as Suid-Afrikaners, met al die uitdagings binne Suid-Afrika kan nie toelaat dat Suid-Afrikaners se reg tot self-verdediging ontneem word nie. Tans kan die CFR (central firearms registry) nie eers die agterstand inhaal wat veroorsaak is deur die Amnesty aansoeke en die Covid lockdown nie, wat sal hulle maak met die astronomiese getal vuurwapens wat huidiglik gelisensieer is vir self-verdediging? Dit behoort ‘n vraag op elke Suid-Afrikaner se lippe te wees.
Nicole Murray, vuurwapen instrukteur, assessor en moderator