Gun violence still haunts South Africa despite crime drops. To save lives, we must urgently tighten firearm control laws.
Every three months, we receive a new set of crime statistics. Numbers rise and fall and we talk about trends. But behind every number is a name, a family, and a future cut short.
The latest Gauteng crime statistics, released by provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, show a 10.8% decrease in the murder rate – a welcome relief.
But let’s be clear: firearms are still the weapons most used to kill in this province and nationally.
Imagine a taxi rank in Tembisa. Two men argue over a fare. One pulls a gun and suddenly, what could have been a fistfight, becomes a funeral. This is not a headline. It’s real life for many in Gauteng.
Road rage, alcohol-fuelled disputes, domestic fights – these situations turn deadly not just because of anger, but because someone had access to a firearm.
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Despite the drop in murders, guns remain the leading method to murder in Gauteng and South Africa. That’s like saying the fire is smaller – but it’s still burning through homes.
The statistics also reveal a chilling trend: 75 cases of multiple murders, with 191 victims. In two incidents, seven people were killed at once.
Communities like Soshanguve and Kagiso are facing what can only be described as low-level warfare – yet it’s often invisible to those watching from afar.
What weapon makes it possible to kill that many people that quickly? You already know the answer.
Kidnappings rose by 15.8%. Many of these abductions involved violence or threats – most often at gunpoint.
The trauma doesn’t end when a victim is rescued. Guns make it easier for criminals to control and intimidate.
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The murder of 11 police officers – 10 off-duty, with these killings too often involving the officer’s service gun being stolen, even after hours, when service guns should have been handed in by law, is a reminder that even trained professionals are not safe.
If officers with firearms and training aren’t protected, what chance does the average person have?
We welcome the 2% drop in sexual offences and the awareness campaigns reaching thousands. But we cannot ignore this fact: a woman is five times more likely to be killed if her abuser owns a firearm.
Removing guns from violent homes must be part of our gender-based violence strategy, yet SA’s 2020-2030 National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide doesn’t include a single mention of firearms.
As Gun Free SA, we propose:
- Reducing the number of guns – legal and illegal;
- Accurate record-keeping is a pillar of effective gun control, yet our records are a shambles. We need to urgently fix the Central Firearms Registry, including reassigning management of the Registry if the SA Police Service can’t deliver on it;
- Enforce the Firearms Control Act. It worked before – and saved thousands of lives. It can work again. But only with oversight, training and accountability; and
- Table the Firearms Control Amendment Bill to close loopholes.
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Four years of delay is four years too long. Parliament must table it, allow public input, and legislate for life – not death.
What does gun-free safety look like? Like Thuli in Tembisa walking home without fear, like Sipho in Alexandra not flinching when a car backfires, like homes where anger doesn’t end in murder by pulling a trigger.
Let us recommit to making SA a gun-safe country. The fewer guns we have, the safer we are.
