Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
South Africa
Tightening Gun Control In South Africa
19 August 2021
Conversation (South Africa)
Statistics produced by the police and mortuary surveillance systems in South Africa have consistently shown that firearms are the most commonly used weapons to commit murder and other violent crimes, such as carjacking and house robberies.
With this in mind, the Civilian Secretariat for Police Services which serves as the technical advisory agency to the Minister of Police, wants to have the Firearms Control Act amended to introduce more stringent firearm licensing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Conversation (South Africa)
40529
South Africa
Fewer Guns Will Save Women's Lives in South Africa
16 August 2021
Institute for Security Studies (ISS)
Fifty-eight percent of South Africa's domestic violence murder victims from April to June 2020 were women, according to national police statistics. Sixty-seven percent of these women were killed by a current or ex-intimate partner. In such cases, femicide is the final act in a pattern of chronic and escalating abuse. South Africa's rate of femicide has been estimated at six times higher than the global average.
Research has consistently shown that having access to a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (ISS)
40530
South Africa
South Africa Destroys Almost 25,000 Firearms During Amnesty Periods
8 July 2021
Times (South Africa)
The police have destroyed almost 25,000 firearms, including weapons voluntarily handed over during the two previous amnesty periods, and those that were either confiscated or surrendered to the state.
The firearms were destroyed at Cape Gate Steel in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, after a notice was published in the Government Gazette in June, with 24,910 firearms intended to be destroyed.
"About half of the firearms that have been destroyed were handed in during the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times (South Africa)
40595
South Africa
South African Women Turn to Fight Rape, Murder Scourge
7 February 2021
Guardian
For the dozens of women training at a shooting range near Johannesburg, learning how to use a gun has become a means of protection in a country where a woman is murdered every three hours.
For the first time in her life, Ntando Mthembu holds a revolver in her hands. Without hesitating, she fires 10 bullets towards a cardboard target.
Last November Mthembu's cousin, left alone in a house for several hours, was gang-raped and murdered.
"Before it happens to me, I want... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian
40555
Uganda,South Africa
The Roots of Pre-Election Carnage by Uganda Security Forces
20 January 2021
Conversation (Uganda)
For two days in November 2020, Uganda witnessed some of the most violent riots in a decade. The riots were triggered by the arrest of opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, who is challenging the incumbent Yoweri Museveni in the February 14 2021 election. Authorities alleged that Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, had consistently disregarded COVID-19 related election campaign guidelines limiting gatherings to no more than 200 people.
In the violence... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Conversation (Uganda)
40532
South Africa,United States,United Kingdom
Gun Trafficking from US to UK Increasing
12 August 2020
New York Times
Handguns are quietly being smuggled into Britain, despite tough gun-control laws. The police fear that the illegal weapons are contributing to a rise in gang-related crime.
NORTHAMPTON, England — Josh Bains was 28 when he was killed after an argument over a drug debt of about $50 just a few miles from the English village where he grew up — with a gun that had traveled thousands of miles from America.
His was one of a rising number of gun deaths in recent years... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
40452
South Africa
The 2019/20 Crime Stats and Post-Covid19 Violence Prevention in South Africa
4 August 2020
Saferspaces
If it had not been for the national socioeconomic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the emerging corruption scandals associated with funding for relief measures, there most likely would have been a public outcry following the release of the 2019/2020 crime statistics last week. Many South Africans were hoping that with the deployment of the South African Defence Force alongside the South African Police Service (SAPS) on the Cape Flats from 2019, as well... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Saferspaces
40531
South Africa
New Firearm Amnesty in South Africa
1 August 2020
South African Government
Illegal firearm owners get a second chance with the new Firearm Amnesty period
A new Firearm Amnesty for a period of six months, commencing today, 1 August 2020 until 31 January 2021, has been approved by Parliament during this past week.
The previous amnesty period which was also intended for a period of six months, between December 2019 and May 2020 was thwarted by the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, the South African Police Service received a resounding... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Government
40594
South Africa
South African Police Destroy 20,000 Collected Firearms
4 November 2019
The South African
The last national firearm destruction took place on the 17th of April 2019 wherein over 30 000 firearms were destroyed.
The South African Police Service plans to destroy 20 000 firearms on Tuesday morning by melting them, police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili has announced. The destruction will take place in Vereeniging, Gauteng.
The firearms were seized by, surrendered to and forfeited to the state.
"To stamp the authority of the State the police have to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: The South African
40440
South Africa
South Africa Police Destroy Over 30,000 Collected Firearms
17 April 2019
Sunday Times (South Africa)
More than 30,000 firearms were destroyed by the police in Gauteng on Wednesday.
The firearms marked for destruction, at steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal in Vereeniging, had all been "seized, surrendered or forfeited" to the state, said police.
Police minister Bheki Cele was present and said: "Most of the firearms here today were surrendered. It is quite a period since we last destroyed firearms - it last happened late in 2016."
He said around two-thirds of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sunday Times (South Africa)
40441
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
40300
South Africa
South African Police Destroy 23,000 Illegal Firearms [ES]
29 October 2016
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: Around 23,000 seized, illegal firearms have been destroyed by South African police. It is estimated that 9,200 of these guns were related to crime. Each day, an average of 18 people die by gunshot in South Africa. The minimum age to own a firearm is 21. The number of guns per person is limited and a firearm licence must be periodically renewed.]
Pretoria -- Unas 23 mil armas de fuego ilegales confiscadas por la Policía sudafricana fueron... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Latina (Havana)
40145
South Africa
Police Seized 250 Guns During a Single Raid in Cape Town
28 October 2016
IOL (South Africa)
Tshwane - The South African Police Service on Friday seized over 250 firearms, ammunition and an undisclosed amount of money at a premises in Valhalla Park, Cape Town, acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane said.
Addressing media in Pretoria on Friday evening, Phahlane said crime scene experts were still at the area, and processing the seized items.
"We would like to congratulate the Western Cape police who, during an intelligence-led... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IOL (South Africa)
40086
South Africa
South Africa Police Destroy Another 23,000 Firearms [FR]
21 October 2016
La Revue de l'Afrique
[Translated summary: South African police have destroyed 22,999 firearms, most of them seized from criminals. 3,156 were police guns that were no longer operational. Among them were revolvers, pistols, hunting rifles and assault rifles. Police are sure that destruction will contribute to the security of the country, which sees an average of 16 gun deaths each day.]
La police sud-africaine a conduit hier une opération médiatisée de destruction massive d'armes à feu.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Revue de l'Afrique
40038
South Africa
Cape Town Cuts Gun Violence With High-tech ShotSpotter [FR]
7 October 2016
Agence Ecofin (Switzerland)
[Translated summary: A total of 71 firearm incidents have been registered in Cape Town in September, while 128 were registered in August and 211 in July. The reduction is due to the implementation of ShotSpotter, a high-tech acoustic detection system which allows police to arrive quickly at the scene of a shooting.]
La semaine dernière, la ville sud-africaine de Cape Town a dressé un premier bilan de son utilisation du système numérique ShotSpotter, dans sa lutte... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence Ecofin (Switzerland)
39974
South Africa
South African Police Seized 85 Guns in Anti-Gang Campaign
28 September 2016
Herald Live (South Africa)
A massive police bust has netted 29 suspected gangsters – among them alleged gang bosses – and more than R1-million worth of drugs
The two-day operation saw a series of raids on drug hotspots across Port Elizabeth and other towns.
It involved 250 police officials and 26 K9 unit members and was part of the anti-gang campaign Operation Lockdown, which has been in full swing since March.
Police top brass hailed the operation yesterday as a success.
They also... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Herald Live (South Africa)
39931
Brazil,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,United States,India,Nigeria,South Africa,El Salvador
World is Far Less Violent: Global Murders Halving in a Decade
7 September 2016
Foreign Affairs (USA)
The world has never been safer than it is right now. Most forms of violence have dropped precipitously over the past few centuries. Although conflict deaths recently spiked (the war in Syria accounts for one third of all war-related killings today), fewer people are dying from warfare than at virtually any time in human history. Terrorist violence also increased over the past two years—especially in six countries the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia—but it still... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Foreign Affairs (USA)
39813
South Africa
South Africa Police Seize Firearms and Ammunition
18 July 2016
Parliament of South Africa (Cape Town)
The Portfolio Committee on Police has lauded the renewed focus on illegal guns by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), and believes such is necessary and should be supported.
Committee Chairperson, Mr Francois Beukman, said the recent operations by the Hawks in Morningside in Durban, Vanderbijlpark and Dawn Park where they seized illegal guns and arrested suspects is critical in ensuring that illegal firearms are removed from the streets.
"The DPCI... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Parliament of South Africa (Cape Town)
39591
South Africa
South Africa Far-Right Leader Arrested for Gun Possession
15 July 2016
Eyewitness News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG – The Hawks have arrested the leader of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) in the Vaal for possession of firearms and ammunition.
The 48-year-old was arrested at a house in Vereeniging, where he was found with eight unlicensed firearms and more than 2,000 rounds of different calibre ammunition.
Yesterday, another member of the party was arrested in Vanderbijlpark, in possession of nine rifles and three pistols.
The two will appear in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eyewitness News (South Africa)
39577
South Africa
Tighter Gun Laws Worked in South Africa, Says 17-year Study
27 June 2016
Rand Daily Mail (South Africa)
Fewer people are being shot dead in South Africa thanks to stricter gun legislation, according to a 17-year study drawing on mortuary data.
SA Medical Council researcher Richard Matzopoulos, writing in this month's edition of SA Medical Journal, said this is proof that gun control works.
The gun-related deaths dropped from about 9540 a year between 1997 and 2000 to 3793 around 2007, a decrease of more than 60%.
This coincided with the gradual implementation of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Rand Daily Mail (South Africa)
39539
South Africa,United States
Gun Ownership, Gun Death: South Africa v Rest of the World
21 June 2016
Business Tech (South Africa)
Data from the United Nations and the Small Arms Survey shows how South Africa's gun ownership and gun deaths compare to other countries across the world.
Gun violence has again been thrust into the global spotlight following a widely publicised mass shooting in Orlando, Florida in the USA.
The mass shooting has been described as the worst of its kind in US history – and is just the latest in what has sadly become a common recurrence in the world's leading... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business Tech (South Africa)
39465
United Arab Emirates,United States,Italy,Germany,United Kingdom,Netherlands,South Africa,Iran,North Korea,Saudi Arabia
Gun Trade Still Growing at Expense of Development - Study
8 June 2016
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - A report released by The Small Arms Survey here Monday shows the alarming rate at which the trade of small arms and light weapons has been increasing.
Under Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN last September, UN member states have agreed to significantly reduce illicit arms trade flows by 2030.
"The Sustainable Development Agenda puts a clear emphasis on arms as one of the elements that will need to be taken into account for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
39396
South Africa
Police to Declare Progress on Gun Registration in South Africa
19 May 2016
Parliament of South Africa (Cape Town)
The Portfolio Committee on Police will tomorrow (20 May 2016) receive a status report on the interventions the Central Firearms Registry (CFR) has employed towards improving its processes.
In the recent past, the CFR has been criticised for its sluggishness in processing firearm licenses and renewals. In trying to ensure efficiency within the CFR, the Committee demanded a turnaround strategy and quarterly reports on the implementation of the strategy.
The meeting will... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Parliament of South Africa (Cape Town)
39319
South Africa
114 Rounds of Ammunition, 37 Guns Seized in South Africa
10 May 2016
East Coast Radio (KwaZulu-Natal)
Gun Free South Africa has welcomed a seven-day police operation in KZN in which 37 firearms and 114 rounds of ammunition were seized.
The organisation's Adele Kirsten says more intelligence driven operations, covering a greater number of areas, need to be carried out to remove illegal guns from the streets.
Kirsten says such operations also give them data on criminal activity and firearms, saying the majority of the weapons seized were handguns.
She says this could... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East Coast Radio (KwaZulu-Natal)
39257
United States,Sweden,United Kingdom,Australia,Japan,Switzerland,Israel,South Africa
Americans Face Extreme Difficulty Exporting Their Guns
27 April 2016
Wall Street Journal, Blog
When American Tom Heberlein tried to import his firearms to Sweden, he got as far as his transfer in the U.K. before it started to become complicated. There, despite having the correct paperwork, a U.K. customs official said: "You can't have these guns."
And thus began Mr. Heberlein's global gun education.
Although Mr. Heberlein did, after a lot of negotiation, finally get his guns through U.K. customs and in to Sweden, the entire experience created a hassle he hadn't... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
39180
South Africa
Gun Trainer Sold False Firearm Certificates in South Africa
22 March 2016
News24 (Cape Town)
A Johannesburg firearms trainer, who was caught on camera selling a training certificate to an undercover journalist, has been found guilty on three separate charges by the Professional Firearm Trainers Council (PFTC) on Tuesday.
A training certificate is a key document used to apply for a license to possess a firearm.
Andre van Tonder, who was filmed at his Skopos Firearm Academy in Johannesburg, was charged with selling certificates and statements of results with no... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town)
38997
South Africa
South African Women Most Likely to Be Shot by a Partner
7 March 2016
ISS Africa
Tomorrow is International Women's Day. Observed annually on 8 March, it is a time to not only reflect on progress made by women, but also a call to action for increasing the global momentum towards gender equality.
The prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is one of the clearest markers of continued inequality between men and women in any society. South Africa has particularly high levels of SGBV for a country not involved in conflict.
Between 29% and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ISS Africa
38993
United States,Australia,Brazil,South Africa
Gun Control: What Works and What Doesn't
7 March 2016
Washington Post, Blog
Gun control works, but you have to be smart about it.
That's the takeaway from a major new analysis out this month in the journal Epidemiologic Reviews. Columbia University's Julian Santaella-Tenorio and a team of researchers pored over the results of 130 studies on gun control legislation passed in 10 different countries to find out which policy interventions worked, which ones didn't and on what issues the jury was still out.
Big caveat up front: Sussing out cause... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
38909
United States,Botswana,Algeria,Libya,South Africa,Kenya,Rwanda,Djibouti
7 African Nations More Effective at Gun Control than the US
11 January 2016
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
In a BBC interview last July, US President Barack Obama admitted that failure to pass "common sense gun safety laws" in the US has been the greatest frustration of his presidency.
Since he took office in 2008, there have been repeated mass shootings including the 2011 Tucson Arizona shooting in which Gabrielle Giffords, then a member of Congress and 18 others were shot in a supermarket parking lot. Six people died that day.
Another shooting was at Emanuel African... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
38991
Argentina,Canada,Mexico,Australia,United Kingdom,Russia,China,South Africa,United States,Israel,Norway,Finland,Germany,Switzerland
Three European Countries Lead US in Mass Shootings: WSJ
3 October 2015
Wall Street Journal
The latest U.S. shooting that ended in the deaths of 10 people at an Oregon college last week is reigniting calls for tighter gun laws and prompting comparisons to gun violence in other countries.
President Barack Obama asked why Americans can't follow the example of the U.K. and Australia. They crafted laws that "almost eliminate mass shootings," he said. "We know there are ways to prevent it."
Adam Lankford, an associate professor at the University of Alabama... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
39221
South Africa
Strengthening Gun Laws Can Make South Africa Safer
29 September 2015
ISS Africa
Hlupha was eight when he got his first gun and his neighbour taught him to commit crime. His first robbery was of the post office in the small town where he lived. When Hlupha was 16, he shot a boy at school for flirting with his girlfriend. He committed many more crimes over a number of years until he was arrested and convicted for kidnapping, robbery and assault. When we met him he was in prison.
Velabahleke was 10 when he stole his first gun. He found his second gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ISS Africa
38992
South Africa,Brazil
High Murder Rates in Brazil and South Africa Put Firearms Back in Spotlight
24 November 2014
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
Brazil and South Africa have dramatically expanded their geopolitical influence over the past two decades. But after years of democratic and economic gains, the two countries now find themselves in the doldrums. One of the reasons for this is that they are addicted to violence. Brazil and South Africa lead their respective continents in murder. This is no easy feat: last year the United Nations reported that 8 of the top 10 most violent countries in the world were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Huffington Post (USA)
38831
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Cuba,United States,Russia,Nicaragua,Israel,El Salvador,Honduras,Europe,Belgium,Czech Republic,Germany,Italy,South Africa,Spain,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,Argentina,Chile,Paraguay,Panama,Ecuador
Small Arms Trade a 'Dramatic Threat' to Latin America
13 October 2014
NACLA
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons—that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles—are circulating throughout the region.(1) Gunshots kill between 73,000 and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: NACLA
39011
South Africa
Three Cops Held Over Gun Licence Racket in South Africa
27 June 2014
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - Police have cracked a fake gun licensing racket – arresting three police members and three civilians, one of them alleged to be a senior leader of the 28s gang.
National police spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said on Thursday night that the racket involved fraud at every step of the process – "from the initial application to the firearm training facility involved, to the police stations where the applications are lodged and the head office... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
38785
South Africa
Opinion: Pistorius and the Unfinished Gun Ownership Debate in South Africa
12 June 2014
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg), Opinion
When Oscar Pistorius first entered the courtroom where he stood accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the case raised great interest. It was followed online, on radio and even watched on TV, where it received a lot of coverage. While some see the spotlight put on gun ownership by the trial as nothing but the "negligent actions of but one famous public figure", recent headlines evidence that the problem is much deeper than that.
Some of the headlines... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
38754
South Africa
Corrupt South African Cops May Have Sold Guns from Firearm Amnesty
5 June 2014
News24 (Cape Town)
JOHANNESBURG - An investigation into the possible sale of firearms handed to police during an amnesty period is under way, the Hawks said on Wednesday.
"There was nothing to investigate before until we came across new information and decided to follow it all up," spokesperson Paul Ramaloko said.
The investigation would focus on Gauteng first. The probe followed the arrest of three people at a house in Norwood, Johannesburg, where police found more than 300 firearms,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town)
38737
South Africa
Large Arms Cache Found in South Africa, Including 300 Handguns
23 May 2014
South Africa Government News Agency
PRETORIA — Police say they are following up on leads to track down one of South Africa's most wanted criminals who managed to escape when police raided a home in Norwood last night.
Police raided the house following a community tip off and discovered more than 300 guns, ammunition and detonators, a machine used to manufacture ammunition, packaged dagga and explosives used for ATM bombings.
National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega, who visited the house last night,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South Africa Government News Agency
38701
South Africa
South African Boy Held After Taking Gun to School
21 May 2014
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
Durban - A KwaMashu pupil is being investigated for taking a firearm and 16 bullets to school a day after an argument with a teacher.
The 15-year-old Grade 9 pupil was arrested at Sivananda High School on Friday and appeared in the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court on Monday.
He was released into his parent's custody, but the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education does not want him back at school.
Police spokesman, Captain Thulani Zwane, said on Tuesday the police were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
38685
South Africa
Two Dead, Three Injured After Workplace Shooting in South Africa
16 May 2014
Xinhua
JOHANNESBURG - A gunman went on a shooting rampage on Friday in Mmabatho, North West Province, killing a local government official and wounding three others before turning the gun on himself, police said.
A middle-aged man started shooting while outside a government building and reportedly entered the building and fired shots inside the offices of the Human Settlements Department (HSD) in the province, police Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.
"The man allegedly went to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
38675
South Africa
South African Gun Abuse Victim Tells Her Story
6 May 2014
Independent (Dublin)
On the same day Oscar Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp, young mother Astheera Jagessar reported her boyfriend for holding a handgun to her forehead after she spoke to another man.
It all started when an electrician arrived at her boyfriend's house when she was alone there. She wasn't sure why he turned up, so she called her partner and told him to come home. When he arrived back after having a few drinks, he was furious and jealous that Astheera was speaking to a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (Dublin)
38657
South Africa
South African Ballistics Centre Gun Thefts Put Crime Cases at Risk
4 May 2014
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
DURBAN - Security at the police ballistics testing centre in Amanzimtoti has been called into question following the theft of seven firearms, which was only discovered last week.
The guns, some of which are the property of the Durban metro police, disappeared from the centre after a shooting in Lamontville.
There are indications that police officers were involved in the theft as the weapons, which were confiscated for testing, had been signed out and have since... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
38648
Zimbabwe,South Africa,Swaziland
Zimbabwe Homicide Rate Among the Lowest in the World
22 April 2014
Herald (Zimbabwe)
Zimbabwe's homicide rate is among the lowest globally making it one of the world's most peaceful and safest places to live in.
Even though Zimbabwe's figures were not captured in a new study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on global homicide rates, police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi, told The Herald they recorded between 30 and 45 murders per month countrywide.
This gives an average of 420 murder cases per annum, which roughly... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Herald (Zimbabwe)
38578
South Africa,China,Russia,United States,Mozambique
South African Gun Culture Shown in Art
11 April 2014
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
Best known as the director of the 2008 South African crime film Jerusalema and for his music video work with such top stars as Tony Braxton and Michael Jackson, Ralph Ziman's new art installation Ghosts is a powerful comment on the global arms trade and the worship of guns in South African society.
The work includes an extraordinary series of photographs showing men dressed in Day-Glo outfits toting wire-and-bead AK-47s, which are exhibited alongside the imitation... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
38555
South Africa
Oscar Pistorius Knew Gun-Safety Laws, Says South African Gun Dealer
17 March 2014
Wall Street Journal
PRETORIA, South Africa — A gun dealer told the South African court trying Oscar Pistorius on murder charges that the sports star knew the country's gun-safety laws and what is permissible in dealing with intruders, as prosecutors attempted to show that he was a trigger-happy man with an overzealous interest in firearms.
Before the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, the model and aspiring television star Reeva Steenkamp, Mr. Pistorius bought an LM6 semiautomatic rifle,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
38480
South Africa
South Africa Asks: Where's Our Debate On Gun Control?
17 March 2014
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
"Guns, ammo and shooting are as much a part of everyday life [in Pretoria] as a trip to the dentist," an Australian journalist recently reported. It's a narrative we've been hearing a lot of from our international colleagues lately. South Africa, the gun-mad land of fear, where citizens hole up with firearms to defend themselves against any threat.
It's true for some. It's clearly true for the Pistorius family, with Beeld reporting last year that Oscar's father, three... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
38472
South Africa
South African Athlete Accused of Murder had 'Great Love' for Guns
17 March 2014
CBS News (USA)
PRETORIA, South Africa - Months before he killed his girlfriend, Oscar Pistorius said he drew his gun and went into "combat mode" after thinking he heard the noise of an intruder at his home, which turned out to be a washing machine, a South African gun expert testified Monday at the athlete's murder trial.
Sean Rens also said Pistorius wanted to buy seven more guns in 2012 - to add to the 9 mm pistol he already owned for self-defense - and asked the firearm trainer to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CBS News (USA)
38471
South Africa
Three People Shot Each Day in South Africa's Western Cape
13 March 2014
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - At least 236 people have been fatally shot in the Western Cape so far this year. This means an average of three people are murdered with a firearm each day in the Western Cape.
These figures are based on the number of bodies admitted to mortuaries. An average of 18 people are shot dead a day in the country, according to Gun Free SA's Adele Kirsten.
While police say they are concerned about shootings and murders in the province, mayoral committee member for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
38458
South Africa
18 People Shot Daily in South Africa, Violent Crime Rate Remains High
12 March 2014
Deutsche Welle, Video
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is on trial, charged with the pre-meditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who died after being shot four times on Valentine's Day in 2013. The paralympic gold medalist is also charged with three firearms offenses.
While Pistorius has admitted to killing Steenkamp in his Pretoria home on February 14, he has pleaded not guilty and claims he fired through the bathroom door after mistaking her for an intruder.
The rate of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Welle
38466
South Africa
Illegal, Homemade Guns in Hands of South African Youth
18 January 2014
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - Teenage hitmen as young as 14 are terrorising the streets of Mitchells Plain, and while police battle to curb the rampant gun trade, the increasing use of homemade firearms threatens to further derail any chance of controlling gang violence.
Mitchells Plain's worst areas, such as Beacon Valley, have at least one illegal gun on every street, according to police.
Gangs are using the bravado of youths as a means to eliminate their rivals, sometimes with crude... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
38299
United States,South Africa
Sean Penn Turns His 65 Guns Into $1.4m Sculpture Due to Charlize Theron
14 January 2014
Canoe (Québec)
Sean Penn is putting down his pistols.
It's reported that a new relationship with South African actress Charlize Theron has prompted Sean Penn to surrender his weapons.
Penn — who some of us cannot look at without immediately thinking of Yosemite Sam — has declared that he has changed his mind about keeping guns at home and will have them turned into art. According to E!, the diminutive thespian has 65 guns; one can only hope that's a typo.
Penn famously fired on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Canoe (Québec)
38282
South Africa
South African Man Shoots, Kills Ex-Wife Then Self
18 December 2013
South Africa Press Association
JOHANNESBURG — Nicolette du Randt has died after being shot by her ex-husband, the musician Zirk Bergh, last week, the office of North West premier Thandi Modise said on Wednesday.
Du Randt died at the Garden City Clinic, in Johannesburg, on Monday, Modise's office said in a statement.
Bergh also shot Du Randt's new husband Dr Charl du Randt and his 23-year-old social worker Deon Kondos before turning the gun on himself.
Charl Du Randt, Bergh and Kondos died on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South Africa Press Association
38197
South Africa
South Africa Govt Says Most Owners 'Responsible' Despite Recent Gun Deaths
26 November 2013
Eyewitness News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - The Police Ministry says the country's legal gun owners are responsible citizens despite several incidents of gun deaths.
Recently Women, Children and Disabled Persons Minister Lulu Xingwana called for stricter enforcement of gun control laws.
Xingwana went on to say Reeva Steenkamp would still be alive if Oscar Pistorius didn't own a gun.
Pistorius will return to court in 2014 after killing Steenkamp in February.
Police Ministry spokesperson Zweli Mnisi... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eyewitness News (South Africa)
38127
South Africa
Loaded Handgun Found in Loaf of Bread by South African Police
8 November 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
A man in a car stopped by police on Thursday in Malvern, Durban, was allegedly carrying a loaded gun hidden in a loaf of bread.
Police spokesman, Captain Thulani Zwane, said the man was arrested and a case of possessing an unlicensed firearm was opened at the Malvern police station.
Another man in the car was also arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.
Police allegedly found a knife concealed in his belt.
The men were expected to appear on Friday in the Pinetown... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
38053
South Africa
More Gun Charges Added to Indictment Against South African Star Athlete
30 October 2013
Washington Post / Associated Press
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Prosecutors accusing Oscar Pistorius of premeditated murder will add two more charges believed to relate to firing guns in public to the indictment against him, apparently to show another side to the inspiring double-amputee Olympian: Reckless and trigger-happy.
Pistorius now faces charges of murder, illegal possession of ammunition and two other counts of breaking South Africa's firearms laws in his trial in March.
Pistorius' lawyers... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post / Associated Press
38027
South Africa
South African Students In Court Over Crime Gun Possession
15 October 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - Two high school pupils appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court on Monday after being caught with a gun and live ammunition on Friday.
According to Kagiso police station commander Brigadier Sipho Ngubane, pupils at the Mosupatsela Secondary School reported to the deputy principal that Bongani Phapha, 19, and Joubert Tlou, 18, were in possession of a gun.
The deputy principal called the police, and the gun, which had been hidden on the school... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
37977
South Africa
South Africa to Implement New Weapons Act in 2014, Bans Imitation Guns
10 October 2013
Xinhua
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa will implement the Dangerous Weapons Act early next year, the Presidency announced on Wednesday.
President Zuma has decided that the Dangerous Weapons Act will come into effect on Jan. 2, 2014, the Presidency said, adding that the act will seek to prohibit the possession of dangerous weapons, firearms or replicas or imitation firearms in public.
Replicas will also be outlawed as in most cases people robbed by an armed group where only one... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
37963
South Africa,Zimbabwe
South African Fined for Smuggling Firearm to Zimbabwe
7 October 2013
Herald (Zimbabwe)
A 29-year-old South African was last week fined US$400 for smuggling a CZ Pistol loaded with 15 rounds into the country through Beitbridge border post. Bucks Ridwan Anwar of 5 Middleburg, Bonker Street, South Africa, employed by FTS Logistics as a transport manager, was convicted on his own plea of guilty when he appeared before the border town's magistrate Mr Innocent Bepura charged with smuggling.
In the event that Anwar fails to pay the fine he risks imprisonment... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Herald (Zimbabwe)
37947
Japan,United Kingdom,South Africa,United States
High Gun Ownership Makes Countries Less Safe, US Study Finds
18 September 2013
Guardian (UK)
Guns do not make a nation safer, say US doctors who have compared the rate of firearms-related deaths in countries where many people own guns with the death rate in countries where gun ownership is rare.
Their findings, published Wednesday in the prestigious American Journal of Medicine, debunk the historic belief among many people in the United States that guns make a country safer, they say. On the contrary, the US, with the most guns per head in the world, has the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
37901
United Kingdom,Netherlands,Switzerland,Finland,South Africa,England & Wales,Japan,United States
Around the World, Gun Ownership and Firearms Deaths Go Together
18 September 2013
National Public Radio (USA), Blog
A study on guns, violence and mental health, long scheduled to be published this week, finds that gun ownership is a bigger factor than mental illness when it comes to firearms deaths. But the data suggest that both play roles.
Earlier research has found that places with high rates of gun ownership have more firearms deaths, but critics of those findings say that it could be that people living in dangerous places are apt to buy firearms to protect themselves.
And the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National Public Radio (USA)
37900
South Africa
Children in Firing Line of South Africa's Gang Wars
12 September 2013
Arab News (Jeddah) / Agence France Presse
In her years of witnessing Cape Town's gang wars up close, primary school principal Brenda Manuel has witnessed an execution-style killing and lost a pupil in the crossfire.
But the violence has never been this bad.
"It's been going on for so long and it seems there's no end to what is happening," said Manuel, who has worked at Rio Grande Primary School in the city's notorious Manenberg region for 38 years.
The latest episode in the turf war saw 16 schools... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Arab News (Jeddah) / Agence France Presse
37890
South Africa
South African Girl of Seven 'Shoots Friend Dead'
26 August 2013
BBC News
A seven-year-old South African girl has shot dead her friend, aged six, with her grandfather's revolver while playing at a farm, police say.
A murder case has been opened after the dead girl, a daughter of a farm worker, was shot in the face, reports say.
The alleged killer's grandfather has been charged with failure to safeguard a firearm, police added.
South Africa has tight gun ownership regulations but many people still possess firearms.
'Great shock'
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
37800
South Sudan,South Africa
South African Group to Mark, Record Weapons in South Sudan
26 August 2013
Bor Globe (USA)
The United Nations (UN) has enlisted the services of a South African partnership to establish a weapons marking and identification system in South Sudan.
The marking and identification process is unique in Africa and was designed and developed in South Africa by a partnership of FACTT, a software development company, and Traceability Solutions, a hardware development and manufacturing organisation.
"If ever there was a baptism by fire for our product, this is it,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bor Globe (USA)
37794
South Africa
South African Police Destroy Over 36,000 Guns
30 July 2013
South African Police Service, Media release
VEREENIGING – Today, many South Africans will be safer. Many businesses have been spared from potential robberies. Many homes have been spared from potential break-ins AND schools have been spared from disruptions – all these as a result of removal in circulation of thousands of illegal firearms.
This was a sentiment expressed by the police leadership and management during the destruction of illegal firearms at an event held at the Arcellor Mittal Steel Factory... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Police Service
37710
South Africa
South African Man Shoots, Kills Kids and Self, Ex-Wife in Hospital
19 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - Three smiling faces stare back from the passenger seat. Silently, captured in a halo. Paul Nothnagel stared at them on Thursday. Then he opened fire.
Two of them - Chane, 18, and Mischke, 14 - are dead.
Their mother Linda, 43, is fighting for her life after her ex-husband ambushed her as she drove her girls to school on Thursday morning. Paul, 44, then killed himself.
Abram Moraba bore witness to the tragic shooting.
On Wednesday, Moraba was on his... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
37672
South Africa
Cops Arrested in South Africa Over Gun Licence Scam
15 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - Two police brigadiers were suspended on Sunday for their alleged involvement in a gun scandal in which allegations of bribery, dealing in stolen military ammunition and forging export permits have emerged.
Brigadier Mathapelo Merriam Mangwane, section head of the Central Firearms Registry (CFR), and Brigadier Hlamane Elias Mahlabane, section head of firearm compliance, were suspended from duty without pay "for their involvement in corrupt... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
37811
South Africa
South Africa Suspends Two Firearms Officials Over Registry Scandal
15 July 2013
SouthAfrica.info
Two senior police officers have been suspended following a wide-ranging investigation into corruption in South Africa's Central Firearm Registry, the police confirmed on Monday.
The suspensions follow recent media reports alleging corruption after an ex-employee at a gun shop said that he bribed officers at the registry in order to fast-track the issuing of gun licences.
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesman Solomon Makgale said that Mathapelo Mangwane, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SouthAfrica.info
37664
South Africa
Cops, Gun Registry Boss Accused of Taking Bribes in South Africa
9 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - The Central Firearms Registry (CFR) head in Pretoria has been accused of accepting bribes from an employee at a Joburg gun shop in exchange for securing gun licences.
This is according to a state witness in an upcoming case, who claimed that as an employee of Dave Sheer Guns – a leading distributor of firearms and accessories on the continent – she paid Brigadier Mathapelo Miriam Mangwani R5,000 and R10,000 twice a month in cash for four years.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
37643
South Africa,Georgia
South African Soldiers Arrested for Selling Stolen Ammo
28 June 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - More than 200,000 rounds of ammunition have allegedly been stolen from the military and sold off to a gun shop - which exported the ammunition to a country in conflict.
Two soldiers and a civilian have been arrested and have appeared in the Lenasia Magistrate's Court on charges of theft of ammunition and fraud.
The Star has reliably learnt that more warrants of arrest have been issued, with more arrests imminent.
Sergeant Peter Motaung, 49, a storeman... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
37613
South Africa
Over 4,000 Guns Destroyed in South Africa
5 June 2013
Citizen (South Africa)
The destruction of thousands of confiscated and surrendered firearms and knives is aimed at making society safer, Gauteng police said yesterday.
Speaking at a briefing at ArcelorMittal in Vereeniging, Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Mzwandile Petros said he was happy that the weapons had been permanently removed from the public.
"The confiscations were largely due to the community who provided tip-offs to police," he said. More than 4,000 firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Citizen (South Africa)
37536
South Africa
Gun Licence Scam Uncovered in South Africa
23 May 2013
SABC (South Africa)
A two-week investigation by the SABC uncovered a scam where crucial documents to secure a licensed firearm are being sold over the counter. A police inquiry is currently underway.
Normally it is not easy acquiring a gun licence in South Africa. It is in fact a lengthy process.
First, you need to understand the Firearms Control Act. Then you would need to present yourself at a training institute. There, they will assess your knowledge.
Once you complete training for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SABC (South Africa)
37493
South Africa
Gun Dealers in South Africa Investigated Over Possible Law Breaches
15 May 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - An independent probe has been commissioned into alleged unscrupulous practices among firearms dealers, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Wednesday.
Concerns had recently been raised about firearm dealers not complying with the Firearms Control Act, Mthethwa said in a statement.
"In order to ensure that the provisions of the act are properly complied with… I have decided to set up an independent investigation into the practices complained of," he... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
37469
South Africa
South African Man Denies Fatal Shooting of Former Girlfriend
15 May 2013
News24 (Cape Town) / The Witness
PIETERMARITZBURG - A KwaZulu-Natal man charged with murdering the mother of his child after she had obtained a protection order against him has denied killing her.
Thembinkosi Sibiya, 27, is charged with shooting Gugu Anette Ndlela in the head on 3 November 2011, when he also allegedly tried to shoot Ntuthuko Nxasana, the man he believed she was in a relationship with.
He pleaded not guilty before acting judge Sibusiso Mngomezulu in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town) / The Witness
37448
South Africa
Gun Licence Dispute Continues in South Africa
30 April 2013
Eyewitness News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - Despite statistics by the South African Police Services indicating a decline in gun-related crimes, the debate on gun laws and ownership in South Africa remains divided.
Varying degrees of the debate have emerged with many still opposing the easy access to guns as it has been reported that it takes only 90 days to acquire a gun license.
The issue was thrust back into the spotlight earlier this year, when Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eyewitness News (South Africa)
37405
South Africa,Haiti,South Sudan,Sierra Leone,Liberia,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Oceania,Southern Africa,Central America,East Asia,Southern Europe,Western Europe,North Africa,East Africa,South Asia,South America
Some 437,000 People Murdered Worldwide in 2012 - UNODC Study
10 April 2013
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Media release
VIENNA - Almost half a million people (437,000) across the world lost their lives in 2012 as a result of intentional homicide, according to a new study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Launching the Global Study on Homicide 2013 in London today, Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, said: "Too many lives are being tragically cut short, too many families and communities left shattered. There is an urgent need to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
38560
South Africa
South Africa Police Guns Seized in Raid on Gang Residence
9 April 2013
Eyewitness News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said on Monday an investigation has been launched to determine how police issued firearms landed up in the hands of gangsters in Lavender Hill.
Metro police officers carried out several raids in the area and other suburbs over the weekend where they confiscated illegal weapons and drugs.
Officials also seized two police firearms as well as an AK-47 with ammunition.
Plato said this was worrying.
"I am actually... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eyewitness News (South Africa)
37296
South Africa
South African Women Remain at Risk of Homicide by Their Partners
2 April 2013
News24 (Cape Town)
JOHANNESBURG - There has been no significant decrease in the rate of South African women murdered by their partners, the Medical Research Council of SA said on Tuesday.
"In South Africa, the murder of women by their partners remains a serious problem," senior researcher of the gender and health unit Naeemah Abrahams said in a statement.
According to a recent study led by Abrahams, the murder rate for women older than 14 was substantially lower in 2009 than in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town)
37274
United States,South Africa
Guns and Family Violence: How Many Tragedies Does It Take?
25 March 2013
al Jazeera, Opinion
On December 1, 2012, NFL linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins. He then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and then shot and killed himself in front of his two coaches and the general manager of his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. On February 14, 2013, South African track star Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the bathroom door of his home. Two well-known athletes, two horrifying acts. While we don't know... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
37231
South Africa
Dangerous Weapons Bill Adopted in South Africa to Curb Violence
13 March 2013
Global Times (China), Xinhua
The Portfolio Committee on Police on Tuesday adopted the Dangerous Weapons Bill as South Africa is moving to curb rising violence.
The bill will repeal all legislation dealing with dangerous weapons. There are currently five different pieces of legislation that deal with dangerous weapons, including the Dangerous Weapons Act of 1982.
The committee called on police to effectively implement the Dangerous Weapons Bill, which will also give powers to the police to arrest... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China), Xinhua
37181
China,Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Somalia,Angola,South Africa,Sudan,Zimbabwe,Kenya
Unknown Quantities of Chinese Arms in Africa a Concern
21 February 2013
Star (Kenya), Opinion
Much is being written and said in the media and academic circles about China's increasing engagement with Africa on many economic and other fronts.
Some see this as benefiting Africa; others as detrimental to the real needs of African countries and peoples. Some critics have used phrases like "the second scramble for Africa" and "re-colonization of Africa" to describe the new development. The debate goes on.
Yet, there is one subject that has not received the serious... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Star (Kenya)
37098
Trinidad & Tobago,South Africa
Trinidad Official Thinks Gun Laws Don't Go Far Enough
20 February 2013
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
As the Government battles unbridled gun violence, national security adviser Gary Griffith says guns don't kill people, people kill people. On Friday, Olympic blade runner Oscar Pistorius appeared before the court in South Africa charged with the murder of his 29-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp who had been shot four times with Pistorius' licensed gun.
In South Africa where levels of crime are extremely high, many private citizens have licensed guns. But the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
37086
South Africa
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius Applied for Six Restricted Guns
19 February 2013
Independent (South Africa)
Pretoria - Oscar Pistorius applied for six separate firearm licences in January. Less than a month later, he stands accused of fatally shooting his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The killing took place during the early hours of Thursday at his luxury home in Pretoria.
On Tuesday, as the Paralympian prepares to show compelling reasons why he should be released on bail, The Star can reveal that Pistorius applied for licences for the following firearms:
- A Maverick... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (South Africa)
37090
South Africa
Gun Crime Falls in South Africa After Tougher Laws Introduced
19 February 2013
South Africa Info
The arrest of Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius following the shooting of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, at Pistorius' home in Pretoria last week has focused considerable attention, in the local and international media, on gun laws and gun ownership in South Africa.
In 2004, new legislation came into force in South Africa, in the form of the Firearms Control Act of 2000, that brought in significantly tougher controls on the ownership, possession... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South Africa Info
37088
South Africa
South Africa Athlete Case Shows Risk of Having Guns at Home
18 February 2013
Guardian (UK)
There is a rule in screenwriting that if you introduce a gun into a scene, at some point you must use it. The rule applies to real life too. That's how Reeva Steenkamp lost her life. A gun appeared in her story, and she got shot dead. Regardless of the circumstances, when guns are near people, they kill people.
I know the gun fraternity will say that it was Oscar Pistorius who pulled the trigger, and not the rest of the gun community out there. But that's what... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
37078
Finland,United States,European Union,Germany,Switzerland,Russia,South Africa,Mexico
Registry Shows Germans Fourth in World for Guns
17 February 2013
Local (Germany)
Figures compiled for Germany's new National Weapons Registry reveal that there are 5.4 million legally owned guns in the country, making it the world's fourth most-armed nation per capita.
Der Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday that the state of Bavaria topped the list with 1.1 million, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia with 1 million and Baden-Württemberg with 700,000.
The new national gun register bundles together the data from over 500 local authorities, which... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Local (Germany)
37072
United States,South Africa
How Strict Are South African Gun Laws?
15 February 2013
Time (USA)
The paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder by a South African court following the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, from gunshot wounds at his home within a gated Pretoria housing estate. The woman sustained wounds to her head and the upper body, and was reported to have been shot four times. A 9mm pistol was recovered from the scene.
According to Gunpolicy.org, there are just under 6 million licensed firearms in South Africa, which has a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Time (USA)
37101
England & Wales,South Africa
South Africa Gun Culture in Spotlight After Athlete's Murder Charge
14 February 2013
Telegraph (UK), Video
About one citizen in every 20 owns a registered firearm and millions more weapons circulate illegally. The gnawing fear of violent crime is such that most houses are surrounded by walls and barbed wire, often electrified to deter intruders.
The wealthier neighbourhoods of Pretoria and Johannesburg are patrolled by armed guards from private security firms, who can be summoned at the touch of a panic button.
Even so, many people opt to live – like Oscar Pistorius –... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
37064
South Africa
Murder-Accused South African Athlete 'Enjoys' Target Shooting
14 February 2013
Guardian (UK), Video
Oscar Pistorius the Paralympic star and inspiration to millions around the world, was contemplating his future from a police cell on Thursday night after being charged with murdering his girlfriend.
In a drama that stunned South Africa and admirers abroad, Pistorius allegedly fired four bullets into Reeva Steenkamp's head, chest and arm at his home in the capital, Pretoria, in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The life of the glamorous athlete, known as the Blade... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
37063
South Africa
New 'Dangerous Weapons' Law Considered by South Africa Govt
12 February 2013
Money Web (South Africa)
A draft bill which seeks to empower police officers to arrest people carrying dangerous weapons during public gatherings came before Parliament on Tuesday.
Addressing the portfolio committee on police, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the Dangerous Weapons Bill would outlaw possession of any weapon, object, or replica in instances where there was an intention to use it for an unlawful purpose.
"The bill seeks to prohibit the carrying of firearms and objects which... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Money Web (South Africa)
37056
South Africa
South Africa Police Destroy Over 3,000 Guns, Admit Losing 1,200
5 February 2013
Eyewitness News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - At least 31,000 knives and more than 3,000 guns were destroyed by police in Vereeniging on Tuesday.
The weapons were seized from criminals in Gauteng over the past two years, as part of the Operation Duty Calls campaign.
The weapons were packed in white bags at the Arcelor Metal Plant in Vereeniging.
A giant electric magnate liftted the weapons up to the brim of a 10-metre tall smelter, into which they would later be thrown into.
Once the weapons have... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eyewitness News (South Africa)
37035
South Africa
Audit Demanded as Gun Licence Corruption Alleged in South Africa
5 February 2013
News24 (Cape Town)
JOHANNESBURG - A probe into a former Gauteng police brigadier over alleged firearm licences corruption underlines the need for a forensic audit, Gun Free SA said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Adele Kirsten said such an audit should include all firearm licences issued in the past few years.
"We have no confidence in the registry and are critical, especially over the last two to three years, of whether all those [who received licences] actually fit the criteria," she... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town)
37032
United States,Estonia,Finland,Colombia,South Africa,Sudan,Western Europe
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Atlantic (USA)
37031
South Africa
South Africa Police Seize Over 700 Illegal Guns During Festive Season
16 January 2013
SouthAfrica.info (Johannesburg)
The South African Police Service (SAPS) made 67,000 arrests around the country over the festive season, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said at a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The arrests - for crimes ranging from murder, robbery and rape to fraud, shoplifting and driving under the influence - took place during the course of a festive season safety campaign which began on 15 October and will officially end on 31 January.
A total of 704 were arrested for public... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SouthAfrica.info (Johannesburg)
36950
United States,El Salvador,Brazil,Philippines,Jamaica,South Africa,Swaziland,Guatemala,Panama,Mexico,Colombia,Honduras
Top 12 Countries for Firearms Related Deaths
17 December 2012
Forbes (USA)
Few major nations have the right to bear arms configured in their Constitution. Even fewer (as in we are the only one) have gun control legislation as a hot button political issue. The U.S. is the most violent core economy in terms of gun related deaths. It is also the leader in gun violence at school campuses. Yet, the U.S. does not lead the world in firearms related deaths. Countries where gangs and drugs are a problem top the list, even where there is strict gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Forbes (USA)
36832
South Africa
Gun Control and Fall in Gun Crime in South Africa
15 December 2012
Africa Check
Since strict gun controls came into force in 2004, gun crime in South Africa has fallen by more than 21 percent. Did the new controls cause the drop in gun crime as police claimed last week? Their data is inconclusive but cause of death figures from studies of mortuary statistics back their claim.
On Friday, 30 November 2012, the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed an order brought by a group of gun owners that would have compelled the minister of police to pay... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Africa Check
38822
South Africa
South Africa Civilians Lose Compensation Appeal for Destroyed Guns
4 December 2012
iAfrica (South Africa)
Firearm owners who voluntarily surrendered their guns to police for destruction will not be compensated by the State, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has ruled.
It dismissed an appeal on Friday by two non-profit voluntary associations, the Justice Alliance of South Africa and the False Bay Gun Club, against a Western Cape High Court judgment.
The high court had held that the minister did not overstep his legal capacity in published guidelines which provided that gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: iAfrica (South Africa)
36797
Somalia,South Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Sudan,Zimbabwe,United States,China
China 'Aggressively' Supplying Africa With Guns, Military Equipment
28 November 2012
Global Post (Boston)
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — China's aggressive new strategy to sell weapons in Africa was on clear display at a recent defense exposition here.
The pavilion for Chinese manufacturers was among the three largest at the Africa Aerospace and Defense exhibition in September, surpassed only by host South Africa and the United States, the world's largest weapons maker by far.
Many of the made-in-China weapons touted by firms such as Norinco and Poly Technologies were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Post (Boston)
36790
South Africa
South Africa Police Arrested for Involvement in 'Monumental' Arms Bust
28 November 2012
Herald (Port Elizabeth)
Police officers who allegedly sold weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition to criminals were arrested in a high-risk operation in Pretoria yesterday. …
The operation stretched from a busy Pretoria shopping centre to a small police station north of the city yesterday.
One of the three people arrested was the commissioner of the Rust de Winter police station, Captain Petrus Badenhorst.
Investigators of the Hawks' crimes against the state unit, explosives... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Herald (Port Elizabeth)
36783
South Africa
South Africa's 'Dodgy' Security Industry Creates Need for Gun Regulation
22 October 2012
Business Day (Johannesburg)
Crime levels in South Africa have spurred the nation's private security industry to balloon into one of the world's biggest, but experts say the number of underqualified and unregistered companies in the sector is reaching alarming proportions.
The industry's rapid growth has raised fears over national security in the government, which is looking to increase regulation.
This would include new provisions in the Private Security Industry Regulation Act on centralised... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business Day (Johannesburg)
36705
South Africa
More Shootings in South Africa City, Young Cousins Shot on Same Street
1 October 2012
Independent (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - A young Cape Town girl was shot in the leg on Sunday by gang members who were chasing down a rival - less than a month after her cousin was shot dead in the same street.
Jasmyne Strydom, 13, became the third child shot by gangsters in September in Cape Town. Jasmyne, a Grade 8 pupil at Excelsior High, was shot in the achilles tendon as she visited a shop in Matroosberg Crescent at lunchtime.
The crescent has seen a number of shootings over recent... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (South Africa)
36603
South Africa
South Africa Admits Police Lost Over 13,000 Handguns, Rifles Since 2007
26 September 2012
Democratic Alliance (Cape Town), Media release
In a reply to a DA parliamentary question received yesterday, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa admitted that 1 202 firearms have been be added to the 11 935 firearms lost by the South African Police Service (SAPS) since 2007, bringing the total to 13 137.
The reply revealed that a total of 1 202 firearms have been lost or stolen in the last 18 months. Of the total, 1 090 of these were handguns and 59 were rifles. However, only 170 of the weapons have been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Democratic Alliance (Cape Town)
36594
South Africa
South Africa Man Survives Suicide Attempt After Fatally Shooting Wife
17 September 2012
IOL (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - An alleged quarrel turned violent when a man shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself.
The shooting happened on Sunday morning at the couple's home at Asanda Village in Strand.
The husband shot his wife in the head, killing her at the scene. He then shot himself. But the 48-year-old survived the gunshot and was airlifted to Tygerberg Hospital by helicopter.
Laticia Pienaar, communications officer for the hospital, said the man, who could... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IOL (South Africa)
36556
South Africa
51 Guns Lost or Stolen from South Africa's Defence Force in Last 3 Years
5 September 2012
Defence Web (South Africa)
The South African National Defence Force has lost or had stolen 51 firearms since 2009, including 38 assault rifles, according to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.
Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula stated that 51 firearms, including a machine gun and a grenade launcher, have been lost by or stolen from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) since 2009. This emerged in response to a parliamentary question posed by Pieter Groenewald of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Defence Web (South Africa)
36530
South Africa
Gun Law Change Lowers 'Femicide' Rate in South Africa But Work Needed
22 August 2012
Money Web (South Africa)
One to two women killed are killed by their husbands, boyfriends or partners.
Most South African women are killed by their husbands, boyfriends or same sex partners, a Medical Research Council (MRC) study has found.
"In South Africa every one to two women killed are killed by her partner," said MRC gender and health researcher Naeemah Abrahams on Tuesday.
The study, giving comparative figures of 1999 and 2009, indicated an overall decrease in female homicides as well... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Money Web (South Africa)
36491
South Africa
South African Police Gun Records 'A Shambles,' Many Weapons Missing
7 August 2012
IOL Daily News (South Africa)
KWAZULU-NATAL - Hundreds of guns from police station exhibit rooms across KwaZulu-Natal are missing or unaccounted for because of poor record keeping, an audit has found.
The preliminary findings of the check have prompted provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mmamonnye Ngobeni to put a task team in place to monitor the 184 stations in KZN to ensure their gun files are in order.
Sources claim that at some stations more than 100 guns are reported missing or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IOL Daily News (South Africa)
36440
South Africa
South Africa Cop Kills Wife, Self After Court Overturns Gun Order
7 August 2012
Sowetan Live
A month after a court dismissed a protection order that prevented him from carrying a gun, a Mpumalanga cop has shot dead his wife and then himself.
Distraught family members of Nelisiwe Nkomo, 21, of Kwaggafontein outside KwaMhlanga, said the justice system had failed to protect their daughter from her abusive husband, Witbank policeman Themba Nkosi
Nkomo's father, Daniel Nkomo, said: "Clearly my daughter was killed by the justice system. If the court had granted her... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sowetan Live
36431
South Africa
South African Medics Carry Handguns After Attacks On-Duty
18 July 2012
Times (South Africa)
Facing the threat of violence daily , paramedics are now arming themselves so that they can get on with the business of saving people's lives.
This emerged yesterday during a judgment in the case of two men accused of raping two paramedics in Roodepoort, on the West Rand, in 2010.
Private paramedics who spoke to The Times claimed that up to 60% of emergency workers at certain emergency services companies carried weapons to protect themselves against attack while on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times (South Africa)
36344
South Africa,United States,Russia,United Kingdom,China,France,Germany,Liberia,South Sudan,Algeria,Egypt,Iran,Venezuela,West Africa,Africa,Angola
For Africa, Ammunition Control Deserves Global Gun Trade Treaty Focus
9 July 2012
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG — For a couple of hundred dollars or less an arms dealer can illegally source a blank end user certificate with the required signatures and stamps - needed to transfer weapons across international borders - and "if no one checks its authenticity (often the case) he can ship his wares to the world's hotspots with minimal risk, for maximum profit," a report by the Small Arms Survey (SAS) said in 2008.
Since then "not much has changed" Glenn McDonald, based... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
36317
South Africa
Gun Licence Woes 'Are Over' in South Africa
18 June 2012
Pretoria News (South Africa)
If you deserve a firearm licence and qualify for one, you will get it. This is the promise from the head of the Central Firearms Register (CFR) in Pretoria, Brigadier Miriam Mangwane. She is confident that the problems her office faced in the past are over. New firearm applications should be processed within 90 days.
"If there is a delay, there is an explanation," she said.
But gun licence expert and attorney Martin Hood is of the opinion that conditions remain... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pretoria News (South Africa)
36254
South Africa
Untrained Police Caught by South Africa's Post-Apartheid Gun Rules
1 May 2012
Telegraph (UK)
Thousands of South African police officers face being stripped of their guns or kicked out of the force entirely after a leaked internal report revealed that one fifth of those with licenses were not qualified to use police-issue weapons.
A total of 27,400 officers failed to complete updated firearms training introduced last year, out of 129,713 armed staff in the nation's force. Following the revelation last month, several district commanders ordered officers who were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
36094
South Africa
South Africa Temporarily Halts Police Firearm Withdrawal
26 April 2012
BuaNews (Tshwane)
Pretoria — Police management on Thursday said they had halted the process of withdrawal of firearms from police officers.
Briefing the media on what has been erroneously dubbed in some reports as police "disarmament", acting National Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said the move to take the firearms from the officers was informed by an internal audit report, which was subsequently leaked to the press.
"Such a document was meant to assist the management of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BuaNews (Tshwane)
36085
South Africa
South African Police Battle Over Removal of Firearms from Unfit Officers
23 April 2012
Times (South Africa)
The SA Police Service is locked in a battle with a union over the removal of firearms from more than 27000 officers found unfit to carry them and the placing of seasoned policemen as security guards.
The SA Policing Union made a successful urgent application late last week for an interdict prohibiting Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and acting national police chief Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi from disarming policemen in all nine provinces who have been declared unfit to handle... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times (South Africa)
36056
Ethiopia,South Africa,Burkina Faso,Sierra Leone,West Africa,Ukraine,Côte d'Ivoire,Eastern Europe,Russia,Central African Republic,Iraq,Afghanistan,United States,Colombia,Angola,Liberia,North Africa,West Asia,Africa
Shadowy 'Merchants of Death' Behind Africa's Illegal Gun-Running
11 April 2012
Think Africa Press (London)
Arms dealer Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years by a US federal court last week.
Widely known as the 'merchant of death', the 45-year-old Russian has delivered weapons and arms to a wide range of presidents, insurgents and rebels in Africa and the Middle East including the likes of Charles Taylor in Liberia and Jonas Savimbi in Angola. He was caught in a US sting in which his services were solicited for the supply of weapons to Colombia's FARC rebels.
His companies... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Think Africa Press (London)
36019
South Africa
South Africans Express Outrage Over 27,000 Police Failing Gun Test
4 March 2012
Citizen (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - Pro-gun and anti-gun lobby groups found themselves in rare agreement yesterday as they expressed outrage over reports that more than 27 000 police officers on active duty had failed their firearms proficiency tests.
A report in The Sunday Times yesterday revealed that 27 329 (or 17%) of the 157 704 police officers who had training to comply with the regulations of the Firearms Control Act, which took effect in 2004, failed firearms proficiency... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Citizen (South Africa)
35878
South Africa
27,000 South African Police Fail Firearm Test, Still Carry Guns
4 March 2012
iAfrica.com (Cape Town)
More than 27 000 police officers on active duty have failed firearm proficiency tests, the Sunday Times reported.
This was according to a performance report dated 14 December 2011 by the SA Police Service's internal audit unit, the publication said.
The report said the majority of those who failed the tests were operational officers "who were supposed to carry their official firearms on a daily basis".
The Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: iAfrica.com (Cape Town)
35877
Estonia,Dominican Republic,Ecuador,Ukraine,Kyrgyzstan,Moldova,Kazakhstan,Belize,Latvia,Venezuela,Belarus,Lithuania,Bahamas,Bolivia,Azerbaijan,Russia,Antigua & Barbuda,Guyana,South Africa,Jamaica,Honduras,Guatemala,El Salvador,South America,Colombia,Brazil,Central America,Caribbean
1/3 of Femicides Committed With Gun in Latin America and Caribbean [ES]
2 March 2012
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
[Translated summary: Nearly a third of crimes against women are committed with a firearm and in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras this indicator is 60% - Small Arms Survey.]
El mayor nivel de feminicidios se registra en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Catorce países latinoamericanos aparecen entre los 25 del mundo con la tasa más elevada de crímenes contra la mujer.
El informe de la organización de investigaciones independientes Small Arms Survey,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
35882
Philippines,Trinidad & Tobago,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (DRC),Pakistan,Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Madagascar,Côte d'Ivoire,Burkina Faso,Botswana,Egypt,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Ghana,China,United States,Austria,Russia,Israel,Bahrain,Asia,Africa,Brazil
Brazil Arms Exports: Country Preaches Peace, Sells Tons of Arms
28 February 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
A small, scratched metal can thrown on the ground created Brazil's first diplomatic embarrassment of 2012. The canister of tear gas had been collected by pro-democracy activists in Bahrain. Stamped across the can in blue was a Brazilian flag and the words 'MADE IN BRAZIL.'
One year had passed since Bahrain became the stage for pro-democracy protests by the majority Shiites against the Sunni monarchy commanded by king Hamad bin-Isa Khalifa. The protesters had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Huffington Post (USA)
35870
Southern Africa,South Africa,Swaziland,Angola,Congo (DRC),Mozambique,Namibia,Zimbabwe,Central America,South America,Caribbean,Central Africa,Europe,Asia,Africa,Americas,Oceania,Botswana,China,Czech Republic,Germany,Russia,United States,Philippines,Italy
High Gun Death Risk for Young African Men, Women at Home - UN Study
19 February 2012
Southern Times (Southern Africa)
WINDHOEK - Young men in Southern Africa are at the greatest risk of cold-blooded murder, while women in the region are more likely than others from around the world to be killed in domestic violence, a UN agency says.
The statistics from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) come as the region battles to contain the proliferation of gun-related crimes.
Experts have said gun-related crime is a major problem in South Africa and Swaziland, and is on the rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southern Times (Southern Africa)
35844
Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia,Kuwait,Qatar,Mexico,Peru,Venezuela,Colombia,Bolivia,Somalia,Nepal,Oman,Latvia,Mauritius,Guyana,Congo (DRC),Bosnia & Herzegovina,Saudi Arabia,Liberia,Kazakhstan,Singapore,Dominican Republic,Jordan,Trinidad & Tobago,United Arab Emirates,Guatemala,Honduras,Chile,Ecuador,Argentina,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (ROC),Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Côte d'Ivoire,Egypt,Burkina Faso,Brazil,Tunisia,Sri Lanka,Pakistan,Philippines,Yemen,United States,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Russia,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,South Africa,Algeria,Angola,Botswana,Ghana,Guinea,Madagascar
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [PT]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Publica (Brazil)
35794
Thailand,Colombia,Russia,United States,Uganda,Rwanda,South Africa,United Arab Emirates,Belgium,Sudan,Somalia,Côte d'Ivoire,Liberia,Angola,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Congo (DRC)
Stopping the Trade in Death, Gun Trafficking, Smuggling - Opinion
6 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
On a dark November morning in 2004, I woke up in my bungalow overlooking Lake Kivu, tense with anticipation. Our small United Nations team was about to undertake a surprise inspection of three airfields in eastern Congo, notorious for smuggling operations.
With the backing of U.N. peacekeeping forces and a U.N. Security Council mandate, we searched almost every incoming and outgoing aircraft that day. By evening, we had the evidence to link several aviation front... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35632
South Africa
South Africa Firearms Act Reduced Violence Against Women, Why Change?
6 December 2011
Witness (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN — The proposed amendments to the Firearms Control Act should be opposed at all costs, because in its current state the law has succeeded in reducing violence against women and children.
So says Dr Naeemah Abrahams, a researcher with the Medical Research Council. She pointed out the dangers of the proposed amendments during a discussion of the 16 Days Campaign of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children yesterday.
This year's campaign will... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Witness (South Africa)
35628
South Africa
South African Province Considers Drastic Measures to Collect Illegal Guns
22 November 2011
South African Government (Pretoria), Media release
KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mr Willies Mchunu said government is considering drastic measures to collect illegal firearms in the hands of civilians.
He was addressing thousands of Mankengane community in eShowe today, 22 Novemner 2011. For years the community of this area has been experiencing faction fights that led to blood shed and disrupted school operations.
In the past, this area has seen some tensions between two tribal authorities... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Government (Pretoria)
35600
India,Afghanistan,Iraq,Sierra Leone,South Africa,Saudi Arabia,United States,United Kingdom,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
'The Shadow World', an Incisive Exposé of the ArmsTrade - Book Review
1 November 2011
Telegraph (UK), Book review
If there is one book unlikely to appear on the Christmas reading lists of the former defence secretary Liam Fox and his self-professed adviser Adam Werritty, one suspects that this is it. The sorry case of Dr Fox and the mystery chum-cum-lobbyist amplifies what critics of the defence procurement industry – Feinstein prefers the racier "global arms trade" – have long argued. To put it mildly, and in a nutshell, it is not known for its transparency. Nor, for that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
35511
South Africa
South Africa Police Gun Control Described as a 'Nightmare', Say MPs
13 October 2011
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
Political Bureau
NATIONAL police commissioner General Bheki Cele and his top cops were slammed by Parliament's police oversight committee yesterday over the state of the service, with the chair of the committee describing its firearms control as a "nightmare".
In the past five years, 11 935 SAPS firearms have been lost or stolen.
As the police top brass were being grilled, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said in a written parliamentary reply that one-third (91 191) of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cape Argus (Cape Town)
35406
South Africa
One-Third of All South African Police Firearms Remain Unmarked
12 October 2011
Democratic Alliance (Cape Town), Media release
In reply to a parliamentary question the Minister of Police has revealed that one-third or 91 191 SAPS firearms still need to be marked to clearly identify them as SAPS weapons. This means that it is impossible to track where many of the lost and stolen firearms end up. It certainly explains the low recovery rate of 7% when it comes to missing weapons.
In the last five years, 11 935 SAPS firearms have been lost or stolen I shall be writing to the Independent Complaints... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Democratic Alliance (Cape Town)
35402
South Africa
South African Opposition Party Explains New Dangerous Weapons Bill
28 September 2011
Democratic Alliance (Cape Town), Media release
The Draft Dangerous Weapons Bill was drawn up in response to a Constitutional Court ruling and is a necessary piece of legislation. In its current unamended form, the Bill leaves a great deal open to interpretation.
Despite the various statements that have been made about the proposed new Bill, it must be remembered that it is still in its draft form. This draft legislation has been made available for public comment before being submitted for approval to Cabinet. Only... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Democratic Alliance (Cape Town)
35340
South Africa
'Collect Your Gun Licence', Say South Africa Police
28 September 2011
East Coast Radio (Durban)
Midlands police say despite their efforts of phoning, sending messages and visiting applicants' addresses - a large number of applicants, including security officers, still have not picked up their licences and competency certificates.
Applicants have 90 days to collect their documents before they are returned to the National Central Firearm Registry Office in Pretoria.
The police's Joey Jeevan says there is currently a huge backlog at the centre, which could lead to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East Coast Radio (Durban)
35335
South Africa
Politician Nabbed for Unlawfully Carrying a Gun in Durban City Hall
22 September 2011
Daily News (Durban)
An eThekwini councillor, who claimed to have received death threats, was arrested on Wednesday inside the Durban City Hall for carrying a firearm.
A source told the Daily News the councillor had claimed the unlicensed 9mm pistol had been handed to him earlier in the day by someone in the toilets at city hall.
Warrant Officers Deena Govender and David Cele of the Durban Organised Crime Unit – Cato Manor, and the Shongweni Dog Unit made the arrest after a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily News (Durban)
35318
South Africa,Nepal,India
Nepal: Impact of Small Arms on Gender
20 September 2011
Telegraph (Nepal), Opinion
1. Facts:
Small arms:
Small Arms mean the weapons that a single and individual can carry and operate. For example revolvers, self loading pistols, rifles, carbines, assault rifles, sub machineguns, light machineguns and associated ammunitions.[1]
Light weapons means that can be operate two or three people. They may include heavy machine gun, hand–held under barrel and mounted grenade launcher, portable anti-aircraft and missile launcher, explosives, anti personal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (Nepal)
35304
South Africa
South Africa Police Fuel Illegal Trade: 11,935 Guns Missing Over 5 Years
11 September 2011
Democratic Alliance (Cape Town), Media release
Once again it has been revealed to the Democratic Alliance (DA) that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been fueling the illegal arms trade. In a reply to a parliamentary question asked by the DA to the Minister of Police, he admits that in 2010/11 a total of 1 335 SAPS firearms were 'lost or stolen'. 101 of these were rifles, 46 were shotguns and the rest were handguns. Only 167 of the firearms have been recovered.
A copy of the DA question and the Ministers... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Democratic Alliance (Cape Town)
35271
South Africa
South Africa's Murder Rate Progressively Decreasing: 16,500 in 2010
7 September 2011
BuaNews (Tshwane)
CAPE TOWN — South Africa's annual murder crime figures have progressively slipped down from 26 000 in 1994 to 16 500 in 2010.
With the introduction of the Firearms Control Act in 2002, and as attitudes changed, about 640 gun dealers had to close shop between that time and 2006.
Though the country's support for crime prevention has been "inconsistent", "trust between the state, communities and inter-communities" was improving.
Also, communities' capacity for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BuaNews (Tshwane)
35254
South Africa
Backlog of South African Gun Licensing Appeals Now Stands at 13,673
25 August 2011
News24 (Cape Town) / SAPA
CAPE TOWN - The backlog of applications to appeal under the Firearms Control Act currently totals 13 673, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Thursday.
In written reply to a parliamentary question by Pieter Groenewald of the Freedom Front Plus, he said there had been 26 709 applications for appeal since January 2008.
Of these, 10 953 had been granted, 2 083 rejected, and 13 673 were still outstanding, he said.
In a statement Groenewald said this was further proof... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town) / SAPA
35231
South Africa
South African Govt Urges Security Companies to Monitor their Guns
10 August 2011
South African Government (Pretoria), Media release
Strict compliance and greater cooperation between private security and SAPS is crucial.
The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) has been urged to ensure it keeps track of security companies that possess firearms as well as ensure that properly-registered personnel utilise these firearms.
This is the view of the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa in reference to a Parliamentary reply submitted recently on whether companies comply with firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Government (Pretoria)
35192
South Africa,Brazil,Argentina,Australia,Mexico,United States,Canada,Africa,Sweden,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas
Canada Gun Lobby Influence on Foreign Policy: Arms Trade Treaty
3 August 2011
Embassy Magazine (Canada), Opinion
Canada has never been a strong supporter of international efforts to negotiate an effective Arms Trade Treaty. But in mid-July, it reversed its previous low-key but constructive role at the United Nations ATT preparatory meetings to become a potential treaty spoiler. All indications point to this change of heart arising from the domestic gun lobby's influence on Canadian foreign policy.
After years of preparation, member states of the United Nations will devote a month... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Embassy Magazine (Canada)
35160
Sri Lanka,Sudan,Malawi,Zambia,Mozambique,Macedonia,Liberia,Sierra Leone,West Africa,Africa,South Africa
Africa: Analysis: How Best to Remove Guns from Post-conflict Zones?
28 July 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - Cash for guns or buy-back programmes in post-conflict states have fallen out of favour as a method of ridding a society of weapons, and have been replaced by often elaborate schemes designed to remove money from the equation, but the debate continues as to the best way forward.
The disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) community has grappled for years with buy-back practices and acknowledges they can have a profound effect on the nature of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
35133
South Africa
Gun Licence Backlog Reduced from 1 Million to 121,000 in South Africa
29 June 2011
News24 (Cape Town)
JOHANNESBURG - A programme to educate people about the firearm licence application process will be launched in August, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Wednesday.
Roadshows would be held throughout the country at which people could detail any challenges they had faced with the process, he said in Pretoria.
Speaking after a progress review meeting with the task team responsible for a turnaround strategy for firearms applications, Mthethwa said that the 1 080 696... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town)
34996
South Africa
Gun Ban Urged as South African Police Targeted, Killed for Their Firearms
19 June 2011
Independent (South Africa)
The grieving family of two slain Kraaifontein police officers joined local residents and police in a peace march through the streets of Wallacedene on Saturday, calling for an end to all "evil deeds".
Speakers at the peace rally in support of Warrant Officer Gershwin Matthee and Student Constable Cannon Cloete called for a return of the death penalty for police killers, the removal of all illegal and legal guns from communities and a pledge for continued community... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (South Africa)
34958
South Africa
South African Police Committed to Clear Backlog in Gun Applications
10 June 2011
South African Press Association
The police are doing their best to clear the backlog in firearm applications, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Thursday.
"The ministry is doing its best, although more still needs to be done, particularly around capacitating the office," Mthethwa said in a statement, referring to the Central Firearms Registry (CFR).
He was reacting to a report in The New Age newspaper that parties were considering laying charges of contempt of court against Mthethwa because of a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
34918
South Africa
South African Major Backlog in Gun Licence Renewals Threatens Entire System
3 June 2011
New Age (Johannesburg)
The backlog in gun licence renewals is so severe that the entire application processing system is on the verge of "collapsing", an investigation by The New Age has revealed.
Sources in the South African Police's Central Firearms Registry (CFR), speaking on condition of anonymity, said that officials were battling to clear the backlog but new applications were coming in everyday.
With 200000 applications already received, and only 1000 being processed each working day,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Age (Johannesburg)
34891
South Africa
The Number of Gun Licences Approved is Steadily Progressing in South Africa
24 May 2011
News24 (Cape Town)
CAPE TOWN - The number of firearm licence applications approved is steadily progressing, but much still needs to be done to ensure that legal firearms remain in the hands of responsible, compliant and law-abiding citizens, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa says.
Mthethwa on Tuesday was replying in writing to a parliamentary question on how many applications had been approved since the turnaround strategy announced in November last year.
"The total number of approved... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town)
34849
South Africa
Police Have 4 Months to Consider Gun Licence Application in South Africa
19 April 2011
Pretoria News (South Africa)
In a victory for potential firearm owners, police will have four months to respond to applications for competency certificates.
According to a Pretoria High Court ruling, the police have agreed that these applications be considered within four months of their lodging.
The agreement follows an application brought by the South African Intruder Detection Association, several security companies and about 4 500 individual security officers.
Part of the agreement reached... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pretoria News (South Africa)
34695
South Africa
Soaring Police Gun Losses Bring Promise of Clampdown in South Africa
23 March 2011
News24 (Cape Town)
JOHANNESBURG - Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has instructed the police inspectorate to "closely monitor" police gun management amidst soaring weapon losses in the service.
"In addition to various corrective measures which we are currently implementing, I have instructed the police management to ensure that each time a police officer loses his or her firearm, there must be a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the loss," Mthethwa said in a statement... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town)
34583
South Africa
South African Police Have Lost 20,000 Guns Since 2004, Inquiry Hears
9 March 2011
BBC News
South Africa's police force has lost more than 20,000 firearms since 2004, a parliamentary committee has heard.
MPs questioning police officials about the losses urged the force to take urgent action against officers who lose their weapons.
They said they feared the guns were falling into the hands of criminals.
South Africa - which has a high violent crime rate - has over the years struggled to control the number of unlicensed firearms in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34538
South Africa
Police Promise to Speed Up Slow Gun Licensing Process in South Africa
23 February 2011
New Age (Johannesburg)
Gun enthusiasts waiting for their firearm licences may soon get some relief.
Police are working on improvements at the Central Firearms Register (CFR) to speed up the process.
National figures are not freely available, but Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said in a written reply to a Parliamentary question in October that about 58900 firearm renewal licence applications were outstanding in the Free State alone.
In the period April to August last year, 4874 renewal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Age (Johannesburg)
34447
South Africa
South Africa Shuts 23 Gun Registration Centres, Police Stations Take Over
13 January 2011
South African Press Association
The 23 firearm registration centres in Gauteng will be closed down because the Firearms Control Act has been amended, provincial police commissioner General Mzwandile Petros' office said on Thursday.
"This office wishes to state that the decision was based on the amendment regulations as proclaimed in the Firearms Control Amendment Act which indicates that all renewals and competency applications will be dealt with at local (police station) level," said Colonel Neville... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
34095
South Africa
Crisis Hits Tshwane Police as South African Cops Lose Illegally Held Guns
13 January 2011
Pretoria News
A crisis with the potential to threaten the lives of tens of thousands of Tshwane residents and the city's metro police officers is fast developing following revelations that scores of law enforcers are illegally in possession of their weapons.
The revelations come after four Tshwane Metro Police Department motorcycle unit members had their firearms taken from them yesterday because their firearm permits had expired.
The confiscation of the guns, say TMPD members on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pretoria News
34093
South Africa
Register Antique Guns, or Face Jail… South Africans Warned to Comply
7 January 2011
Independent (South Africa)
Police are confident that goodwill on the part of antique gun owners will have them register their firearms, but they have no idea how many thousands of such guns or their modified or lethal replicas are in the country.
This was the admission by national police commissioner Bheki Cele and some of his senior staff in Pretoria on Thursday.
Cele made the announcement at a news conference on an amendment to the Firearms Control Act which comes into effect on Monday.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (South Africa)
33977
South Africa
South Africa Closes Licensing Loophole, Includes Muzzle-loading Guns
6 January 2011
Eyewitness News (South Africa)
An amendment to the Firearms Control Act which kicks in on Monday, patches a loophole which allowed people to own muzzle-loading firearms without licences.
National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele announced several changes to the act at a briefing in Pretoria on Thursday morning.
Muzzle-loading firearm owners, mostly hunters and antique enthusiasts, have one year to apply for competency certificates.
Cele said these types of weapons were excluded in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eyewitness News (South Africa)
33968
South Africa
Most South Africans Get a Gun Licence Renewal, But 15,766 Are Denied
24 November 2010
Times (South Africa)
Police have handled barely a third of the gun licence renewal applications received since the Firearms Control Act of 2000 forced owners to apply anew to keep their weapons.
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has told MPs that just half a million of the 1.4-million applications for gun licence renewal since 2000 have been decided.
In apparent contradiction of reports that most requests had been rejected, he said in a written response to a parliamentary question that 15... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times (South Africa)
33695
South Africa
Police, Minister Promise to Fix Gun Registry, Licensing in South Africa
2 November 2010
South African Press Association
Both national Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and national Police Commissioner Bheki Cele promised to sort out problems associated with the central fire arms registry (CFR).
Speaking at a press conference in Pretoria, Mthethwa said there were serious challenges with the CFR that were undermining the implementation of the Firearms Control Act.
He conceded that some licence applications were taking as long as six years to process and that there were elements of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
33575
Zimbabwe,India,Algeria,Chad,Angola,Saudi Arabia,Colombia,Libya,South Africa,Swaziland,Cameroon,United Arab Emirates
South Africa Takes Fire for Gun Sales to Conflict Areas, Blacklisted Nations
1 July 2010
Christian Science Monitor
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa, which has been winning applause for its hosting of the 2010 World Cup, is now coming under fire for another success: global arms sales.
According to the South African watch group, Ceasefire Campaign, South African arms merchants have sold $1.7 billion worth of weapons in the past decade to "problematic" countries that are either involved in internal conflicts or with poor human rights records. The arms sales would appear to be in violation... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Christian Science Monitor
32947
South Africa
Hundreds of Cops' Wives, Girlfriends Killed with South African Police Guns
30 June 2010
Times (South Africa)
The police's watchdog body is so concerned about officers who kill their wives and girlfriends with their state-issued guns that it has recommended forcing policemen to leave their weapons at work.
The Independent Complaints Directorate conducted a three-year study, the results of which were released last month. It revealed that 49 women romantically involved with police officers were killed by them between 2005 and 2007.
But not included in the report were the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times (South Africa)
33005
South Africa
Gun Owner Shoots Himself Dead After Killing Ex-girlfriend in South Africa
1 June 2010
South African Press Association
A 25-year-old woman was shot dead by her ex-boyfriend before he shot himself in Tweefontein Village, Mpumalanga police said on Tuesday.
Warrant Officer Patrick Mabena said the 28-year-old man visited his ex-lover at her home in section A on Monday afternoon.
"A heated argument broke out between the duo. The man drew a firearm that he apparently stole from his father and shot the woman once in the head.
"He then turned the gun on himself and blew his head up with one... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
32763
South Africa
World Pro Footballers Campaign for Permanent Gun Ban in South Africa
23 May 2010
Independent (UK)
Premier League footballers have launched a campaign to banish guns from South Africa during the World Cup – and for the future.
For the first time in the country's history, personal firearms will be banned from stadiums during the tournament. But, when the contest finishes on 11 July, guns will once again be allowed in all public places.
Every year in South Africa, some 10,000 people are killed with guns. Those who have fallen victim to the country's lax gun laws... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (UK)
32723
South Africa
Former VIP Protection Cop Confesses to Shooting His Wife in Cape Town
19 May 2010
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
Former VIP Protection Unit member Sydney Mangena broke down and wept in the Western Cape High Court as his former boss testified that Mangena had confessed to killing his fiancee and later attempted to commit suicide.
Colonel Gerard Victor, provincial head of the police's VIP unit, said yesterday that Mangena had called him minutes after he allegedly killed parliamentary employee Thobeka Vuso at a dinner party at a Waterfront flat six years ago.
Victor testified that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cape Argus (Cape Town)
32707
South Africa
Owners of Unsafe Gun Ranges in South Africa Will Be 'Harshly Dealt With'
18 May 2010
News24 (Cape Town) / SAPA
JOHANNESBURG - Small arms shooting ranges that fail to comply with government safety regulations will be "harshly dealt with", the national regulator for compulsory specifications (NRCS) said on Tuesday.
The NRCS would inspect shooting ranges across the country to ensure that owners were obeying the safety rules laid out in the NRCS Act, spokesperson Thomas Madzivhe said.
"Where there is non-compliance, the NRCS will withdraw certificates of compliance issued for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town) / SAPA
32698
South Africa
10yr-old Boy Kills 4yr-old in Playfight, Cops Quiz Dad Near Johannesburg
13 May 2010
Telegraph (UK)
Abraham Mabaso, from Vereeniging, south of Johannesburg, had been brandishing a plastic toy gun during an after school game with his neighbour Edgar Monyela, but police believe the older boy had been holding his father's 9mm pistol and accidentally discharged it.
Abraham's mother Sibongile Mabaso, 34, heard the gunshot and rushed to find her son dead on the grass in her front garden.
Police spokesman Captain Shado Mashobane said the incident was a "terrible... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
32669
South Africa
Gun Amnesty Over, Illegal Firearms Can Bring 25yrs in South African Jail
12 April 2010
South African Press Association
Crime Line on Sunday appealed to the public to "blow the whistle" on the use and trade of illegal firearms as the gun amnesty deadline expires.
"Time has run out for gun-owners to surrender their legal and illegal firearms as the gun amnesty period draws to a close today [Sunday]," the head of Crime Line, Yusuf Abramjee, said.
"Now is the time for South Africans to join hands with the police in ensuring a safer South Africa by ridding our streets of illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
32490
South Africa
Gun Owners Still 'Confused' by Years-long South African Firearm Amnesty
8 April 2010
South African Press Association
JOHANNESBURG - As the 2010 firearms amnesty draws to a close this weekend, many gun owners are seeking advice after receiving mixed messages from the police and gun dealers, the SA Gunowners' Association (Saga) said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Martin Hood said the police ministry was acting in bad faith by saying the amnesty period, which ends on April 11, must be used to update old firearm licences.
"By presenting the amnesty as an opportunity for firearm owners to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
32491
South Africa
Estranged Husband Used Registered Handgun to Kill Wife in Durban Office
7 April 2010
Mercury (Durban)
A young mother of two died after being shot at her workplace soon after she was presented with a bunch of orange roses yesterday.
Tania Donnelly, 29, a clerk in the Msunduzi municipality's electricity test and consumer centre, and mother of a 16-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, was shot twice in her stomach and once in her arm at her workplace in Havelock Road, Pietermaritzburg.
She died in hospital later.
Her shocked colleagues said the gunman, who was known... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mercury (Durban)
32501
South Africa
Cape Town Cop Used Service Pistol to Shoot, Kill His Wife, Then Himself
6 April 2010
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
Constable Wayne Scheepers seemed to be the model policeman.
But this weekend, Scheepers allegedly shot his 34-year old wife, Antonet, before turning the gun on himself in the couple's Paarl home.
Their 16-year old son and five-year old daughter were staying with Antonet Scheepers' family when the shooting happened on Saturday night.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer November Filander said neighbours heard the couple arguing inside their Polonaise Street home.
Police... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cape Argus (Cape Town)
32497
South Africa
Chasing Escaper, Cape Town Police Raid Home, Kill Schoolboy in Bed
2 April 2010
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
Police were on the hunt for a dangerous prison escaper when they stormed into a house near Empangeni late on Wednesday night.
Shots rang out and a 15-year-old schoolboy, who had apparently been sleeping, lay dead. Kwazi Ndlovu was shot in his home in Esikhawini, near Empangeni.
The killing of the Grade 10 pupil from Tiesand Technical School has reignited the debate over the police's shooting and killing of suspects.
Just a day before, four suspected robbers were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cape Argus (Cape Town)
32430
South Africa
Cape Town Mother Killed 2 Daughters, Herself with Parents' Handguns
1 April 2010
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
A De Doorns woman has shot dead her two teenage daughters in their beds before lying down between them and turning the gun on herself.
The drama unfolded in the Winelands town on Wednesday, when station commander Lieutenant-Colonel Desmond van der Westhuizen rushed to the family's home after he was tipped off by a staffer about potential trouble at the house.
He raced to the house in Voortrekker Road, where he found the house locked. He smashed a window, clambered... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cape Argus (Cape Town)
32431
South Africa
Footballers Sport Shirts, Campaign to Keep Guns Out of World Soccer Cup
31 March 2010
Caledonian Mercury (Scotland)
A leading fashion designer has teamed up with football stars in a campaign to keep the World Cup in South Africa gun-free.
The move comes after three people died when Togo's team bus came under machine-gun fire while on its way to the African Cup of Nations earlier this year.
Katharine Hamnett has designed a T-shirt with the slogan, Don't Shoot. Among the players to wear it is the Hibernian defender Sol Bamba, who was a member of the Ivory Coast team which also... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Caledonian Mercury (Scotland)
32554
South Africa
Cadet Officer Dies in 'Puzzling' South African Police Station Shooting
24 March 2010
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
The father of the 24-year-old student police constable who died after being shot, allegedly by a fellow officer, on Sunday, says he cannot understand how his son could have been shot inside a police station.
Police said that on Monday, Litha Maxengana and a 29-year-old colleague had been discussing a new firearm clip designed to prevent criminals from snatching guns, when a shot had been fired "accidentally".
He was rushed from the Sea Point Police Station to hospital... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cape Argus (Cape Town)
32397
South Africa
Judge Orders Firearm Registry to Grant 600 Licences to South African Firm
10 March 2010
South African Press Association
PRETORIA, South Africa - The country's largest private security company obtained an urgent court order on Wednesday against the Central Firearms Registry to obtain 600 temporary firearm permits in time for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
This followed a late afternoon settlement after Fidelity Security Services approached the North Gauteng High Court for an urgent order about their firearm permits.
These permits were refused shortly before Christmas last year.
In terms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
32353
South Africa
Gun Amnesty Road Show Aims to Mop Up Illegal South African Firearms
9 March 2010
BuaNews (Tshwane)
MORETELE, South Africa — The North West Department of Public Safety has kicked off the 2010 Firearms Amnesty roadshow in the Moretele Local Municipality.
Public Safety spokesperson Lesiba Kgwele said the campaign sought to amplify the call for residents to surrender illegal firearms and ammunition without being arrested before the April 11 deadline.
The call came after Public Safety MEC Howard Yawa on Friday launched the campaign under the slogan "Awulethe Umshini... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BuaNews (Tshwane)
32314
South Africa
Thousands of Guns, Ammunition Surrendered in South African Amnesty
26 February 2010
BuaNews (Tshwane)
PRETORIA, South Africa — Over 6 300 firearms and more than 90 000 rounds of ammunition have been surrendered to the South African Police Service to date.
This is in line with the Ministerial Amnesty which expires on 11 April this year. Under the amnesty, anyone who has an illegal or unregistered gun, ammunition or firearm parts can hand them in without being prosecuted.
The theme is "Together we can do more against crime. Awulethe umshini wakho; surrender your... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BuaNews (Tshwane)
32226
South Africa
South African Riot Police Lose 60 More Guns, 48,000 Bullets to Thieves
23 February 2010
Beeld (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - More than 60 firearms and approximately 50 000 rounds of ammunition have presumably been stolen from a specialised police unit in Mpumalanga.
The weapons were part of the arsenal of the police's former riot unit which had been stationed in Hazyview.
The unit was closed in 2007 after a decision by Jackie Selebi, former police commissioner, to close all specialist units.
The theft of (some of) the weapons was only recently discovered by police... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Beeld (South Africa)
32217
South Africa
South Africans Urged Again to Give Up Illegal Guns in Years-long Amnesty
10 February 2010
BuaNews (Tshwane)
NELSPRUIT, South Africa — Mpumalanga community safety MEC Sibongile Manana has urged the public to take advantage of the National Firearm Amnesty and hand in their unlicensed firearms.
Illegal firearms can be handed in at the nearest police station, without the handler fearing arrest if the weapon was not used to commit a crime. The amnesty period runs from January 11 to April 11.
A similar campaign in 2005 resulted in over 98 000 weapons being removed from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BuaNews (Tshwane)
32104
South Africa
Police 'Lose' 3,000 Pistols a Year, Fuel Crime Gun Trade in South Africa
27 January 2010
South African Press Association
The police are "unwittingly fuelling the illegal arms trade" by ordering thousands of new pistols to replace those that have been lost or stolen, the Democratic Alliance said on Wednesday.
Dianne Kohler Barnard said 4 000 new pistols ordered by the South African Police Service (SAPS) were not to boost firepower, but "mostly to replace lost and stolen firearms".
"As revealed on the Armscor website, the ordering of 4 000 new Beretta pistols means that another... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
31992
South Africa
South Africa Imports More Handguns to Replace Thousands Lost by Police
27 January 2010
Telegraph (UK)
Almost 3,000 South African police firearms were lost or stolen in just nine months, it emerged today – about three for every police station in the country, which has some of the highest crime rates in the world
The worrying statistic comes less than six months before the football World Cup kicks off in the country.
Dianne Kohler Barnard, the opposition Democratic Alliance shadow police minister, said that the state weapons manufacturer Armscor had recently ordered... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
31991
South Africa
Police Destroy Another 80,611 Guns in South African Firearm Amnesty
15 January 2010
South African Press Association
JOHANNESBURG - Gun control campaigners welcomed the destruction of 80 611 guns by the SA Police Service on Friday.
The weapons thrown into the furnace included guns recovered through the ongoing nationwide firearm amnesty, as well as obsolete police weapons and guns previously recovered by police from crime scenes.
IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms) Africa said the destruction sent a positive signal to South Africans that the firearms amnesty would... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
31889
South Africa
Firearm Amnesty Law 'an Insult' say South African Shooters
12 January 2010
Richmark Sentinel
The new firearm amnesty has kicked off with all the pomp and ceremony that the police can muster for what may well prove to be a pivotal moment in gun ownership in South Africa.
The problem is that there are unresolved issues relating to the Firearms Control Act of 2000 (Act) which still have to be sorted out.
Chief among these is the application before the High Court, brought by the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association, to declare certain parts of the Act... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Richmark Sentinel
31810
South Africa
Impact of South Africa's Gun Amnesty Questioned
11 January 2010
Mercury (Durban)
With thousands of illegal firearms in circulation around the country, contributing to the high rate of serious and violent crimes, most political parties have welcomed the four-month gun amnesty that begins today, saying it will spur people with illegal firearms to surrender their weapons.
The amnesty runs until April 11 and allows people to hand in illegal, unregistered firearms at any police station, without fear of prosecution.
IFP spokesperson Velaphi Ndlovu said... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mercury (Durban)
31848
South Africa
Amnesty Reduces South Africa's 'Pool of Illegal Guns'
11 January 2010
AllAfrica.com
Pretoria — The dispossession of illegal and unwanted legal firearms during the new firearms amnesty period will significantly help in the fight against crime, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
Addressing reporters on Monday on the firearms amnesty period which kicked off today and will end on 11 April, Mthethwa said the reduction of the number of firearms in circulation was an important part of the police's strategy to combat violent crime.
"What prompted us to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: AllAfrica.com
31815
Togo,Angola,South Africa
"Guns and Football Do Not Go Together"
11 January 2010
Times Live (South Africa)
Head of the 2010 local organising committee (LOC) Danny Jordaan described as "stupid" people who questioned South Africa's security measures for the World Cup after Friday's attack on the Togolese soccer team.
"It doesn't make sense. If a bomb went off in Spain, do you think I should call England to ask about what the impact is on the Olympics England is organising? I think if something happens in France, you'll know it happened in France, not elsewhere," the LOC head... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times Live (South Africa)
31808
South Africa
Six Dead, Three Injured in Kenyan Christmas Assault Rifle Ambush
26 December 2009
Cape Times (Capetown)
Six people were killed and three others injured on Friday night when three men armed with R5 and AK-47 rifles entered a Ngwane house and opened fire, Kwa-Zulu Natal police said on Saturday.
According to National Police Commissioner, Bheki Cele, the gunmen entered the house at 11.30pm.
"A group of 11 friends were enjoying themselves when the three men entered. They simply opened fire on the group," said Cele.
Those killed in the attack include four men, aged between... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cape Times (Capetown)
31738
South Africa
Police Urge Safe Storage, Gun Owners Protest Destruction in South Africa
20 December 2009
SABC News / SAPA
People who own firearms and have a valid claim to them are set to start making presentations to National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele explaining why they should not be destroyed. According to a notice in the Government Gazette published on December 14, the State intends destroying all firearms and ammunition voluntarily surrendered or forfeited.
Cele says the presentations should be made within 21 days after the publication of the notice. The representation must... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SABC News / SAPA
31689
South Africa
Bust Yields 10 Stolen Firearms, Owners Urged to Lock Up Guns in Gauteng
18 December 2009
South African Press Association
"A total of ten stolen firearms were recovered when these arrests were made," said Senior Superintendent Eugene Opperman.
Those arrested will appear in different courts in the province shortly.
Opperman said legal gun owners should take steps to safe-guard their firearms and ammunition over the holiday season.
"Firearms should be securely locked away in a prescribed safe, or otherwise it should be in the possession of the legal gun owner at all times."
Car boots or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South African Press Association
31698
South Africa
Police Seize Illegal Firearms in Conflict-ridden Greytown, South Africa
15 December 2009
Mercury (Durban)
Although 16 unlicensed firearms were recovered in Greytown at the weekend, police believe stability has returned to the conflict-ridden town since the temporary deployment of the National Intervention Unit in June.
Police Captain Thulane Zwane said the unit had been deployed after a series of violent incidents before and after the general elections.
Several people, including IFP and ANC councillors, were shot and killed in attacks.
Zwane said that in an operation... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mercury (Durban)
31654
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