Nouvelles sur les armes à feu
Results of New Study into Gun Crime Made Public
3 February 1999
South African Press Association / ANC Daily News Briefing
JOHANNESBURG — People who own guns are four times more likely to have them stolen than they are to use their weapon to defend themselves, a recent study by Antony Altbeker into gun crime and self-defence in Alexandra and Bramley reveals.
Speaking at a seminar in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Altbeker said in only two percent of cases he studied was the victim able to successfully use a gun in self-defence.
In addition, the criminal was three to five times more likely... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : South African Press Association / ANC Daily News Briefing
31 January 1999
Sunday Times (South Africa)
The only thing people wear on their hips in Mapela are their cellphones.
The small rural district in the Northern Province has banned guns, with virtually every building, from schools and clinics to shops and shebeens declared gun-free zones.
From the dusty roads which lead from one part of the district to another, the signs reading "Gun Free" can be seen dotting the villages.
Gilbert Pila, the CEO of the Greater Bakenberg transitional local government, under which... (GunPolicy.org)
What's the Hold-Up on Banning Guns?
29 January 1999
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg), Column
JOHANNESBURG — In a letter to the Mail & Guardian last week, Willie Hofmeyr, African National Congress MP responded to an editorial, entitled "Ban guns, build jails, fire Sydney", which discussed the lamentable state of law and order in South Africa.
Hofmeyr hit back by cataloguing the creation of "drastic anti-crime laws", the reform of the parole system and the construction of more prisons. The most notable omission from his precis of the government's efforts to... (GunPolicy.org)
Real Life Cracks Up 'Cold Cop'
24 January 1999
Sunday Times (South Africa)
Helen Mirren shed her tough, cold screen persona when she cried during a press conference held in Johannesburg yesterday.
Mirren, the star of English TV detective series Prime Suspect, was in South Africa this week with Oxfam, a UK group lobbying European governments to stop the flow of small arms.
"It's funny. If you play a strong and intelligent person, people think you are like that in real life," said the actress, who is also famous for her sexy ad for an airline... (GunPolicy.org)
More Killed by Guns in SA Than on the Roads
20 January 1999
Business Day (Johannesburg)
JOHANNESBURG — More South Africans died violently or were injured by firearms than in road accidents, with more than 30 gun-related deaths recorded daily, lobby group Gun Free SA said.
The group said firearms had become the fastest growing cause of violent death in SA. Police figures showed that more than 11190 people were killed by guns while more than 78330 were injured in 1997, the group said.
This averaged 215 injuries a day, with 62 people put in hospital. Last... (GunPolicy.org)
Seven Killed in Gun Attack in South Africa
19 January 1999
Reuters
JOHANNESBURG — Seven people were shot dead and one person was seriously injured in an attack by unknown gunmen at a house in Evaton south of Johannesburg, police said on Tuesday.
A spokesman said the men had stormed the house about 55 km (34 miles) south of Johannesburg late on Monday.
The motive was not immediately known. Four men were arrested and four firearms recovered, the spokesman said.
South Africa is one of the world's most violent countries but the... (GunPolicy.org)
Northern Province Plans Radical Gun Control Campaign
18 January 1999
African Eye News Service (South Africa)
Pietersburg — Northern Province's provincial government is considering radical measures to clamp down on the abuse of legal firearms following the death of at least eight people in domestic disputes over the weekend, African Eye News Service (South Africa) reports.
Provincial safety and security MEC, Seth Nthai, said on Monday that increasing numbers of people were murdering relatives or friends with registered firearms during emotional arguments or drinking... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : African Eye News Service (South Africa)
South Africa Designs 'Smart Guns' to Curb Crime
16 January 1999
Xinhua
JOHANNESBURG — South African computer experts have developed a system called a smart gun that may help curb this country's horrific firearm death statistics.
A smart gun is a personalized firearm, which can only be used by the person accredited to it, according to Saturday Star newspaper.
Two methods are being considered to reach that end, according to Nic van Zyl, the coordinating member of the Computerized International Firearm Licensing and Authorization... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Exam Student Guns Down Three Teachers
16 January 1999
Reuters
JOHANNESBURG — A distraught South African college student shot dead three lecturers who he blamed for his poor exam results and then turned the gun on himself, The Citizen newspaper reported on Saturday.
"Initial indications are that the lecturers were killed because of an exam-related issue," police Senior Superintendent Phuti Setati said.
The 20-year-old man was cornered by police. He shot himself and died later in hospital.
His parents told police their son... (GunPolicy.org)
Replica Weapons a Threat to Lives, Says Report
4 January 1999
Business Day (Johannesburg)
Replica guns are threatening the lives of innocent South Africans, a new report by Gun Free SA, a lobby group, says.
The organisation says the sale of the toy guns has reached alarming proportions. It says most end up in the hands of criminals or lead to unfortunate deaths as they are mistaken for genuine weapons.
Last week in Northern Province, for example, an 11-year-old boy was shot dead after allegedly pointing a toy gun at a security guard. The guard said he did... (GunPolicy.org)
Report Says South Africa Home to Almost 4 Million Illegal Weapons
20 May 1998
AfricaNews Online / AFP
Between three and four million illegal weapons are circulating in South Africa, sourced from Mozambique and Angola, but also from China, Singapore and the United States, according to a report released Wednesday.
South African police say that 90 percent of all hijackings are committed using illegal handguns, and in 1995, 75 percent of murders were carried out with these weapons, according to the Star newspaper.
Heavy arms are also feeding ongoing taxi wars in South... (GunPolicy.org)
Thieves Raid South Africa Military Weapons Store
19 May 1998
Reuters
JOHANNESBURG — Thieves broke into a South African military arms store at the weekend and made off with 117 automatic weapons and four rocket launchers, a military official said on Tuesday.
The thieves wrote "Viva Mandela" and "Kill the Boers (farmers)" in metal filings left on the floor.
Lieutenant Colonel Charl de Klerk said police and the army were running parallel investigations into the heist, which probably occurred on Saturday.
"The burglars used professional... (GunPolicy.org)
15 April 1998
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
JOHANNESBURG — The indiscriminate use of guns is something that needs to be addressed urgently, says Justice Minister Dullah Omar.
Speaking to Network Radio Services yesterday after visiting the relatives of six-month-old Angelina Zwane in Benoni, Mr Omar said he knew the Department of Safety and Security was addressing the issue.
He said the present gun laws needed drastic revision and heavy penalties should be imposed for the misuse and illegal use of... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Police Services Lose Over 1,800 Firearms
2 April 1998
Star (South Africa)
In 1997 police lost 1,802 guns mostly through robbery or housebreaking. A total of 932 firearms were robbed form police service members, 321 were lost because of housebreaking into private and official quarters, 40 were stolen from state vehicles, 44 were stolen from private vehicles, and 35 were stolen after vehicle collisions in which police were killed or injured.
Replying to further questions, Minister Mufamadi said 89 firearms were lost by police while on guard... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms and the Man - Who Should Have Them
3 February 1998
Cape Argus (Cape Town), Editorial
CAPE TOWN — Capetonians under threat of gang violence are arming themselves, and in some areas licence applications are doubling each month
Licensed guns for use in self-defence in the "old South Africa" were predominantly a luxury few people of colour were allowed — or could afford.
They lived in communities where guns were forbidden to the law-abiding citizen and they proved the argument advanced by many pro-gun lobbyists around the world, namely: "If guns are... (GunPolicy.org)