News

March 9, 2008 : Martin Hedington (GOSA Gauteng Regional Advocacy Director) was interviewed on SAFM, talking about Richard Wesson's book Conditioned Victim, which is published by Martin. Download the (3.4M) transcript here (Thanks to Peter Moss). If your firewall doesn't allow downloading mp3 files, try the zip.

December 14, 2007 : The SAPS is still supplying the criminals with firearms confiscated from law-abiding citizens. Viva Fireams Control Act, Viva!

December 11, 2007 :

So I hear that somewhere in the U.S. of A., a guy walked into a mall
and offed eight people before eating his gun.  Somewhere else, a guy
shot some folks in a church, and then got center-punched by a member
of the congregation at church #2 before making it more than fifty
feet into the building.  Hmmm....I wonder if there's a lesson there
somewhere.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: the only thing that will
stop an armed attacker on the spot is a person with a gun of their own.
Gun haters realize this as well, which is why they rarely ever suggest
disarming the police.  They, too, rely on the gun to protect themselves
from harm--they just feel all high and mighty because they outsource the
task.

The number of casualties at the site of an attempted mass shooting is
usually determined by whether the gun used to stop the killer is already
at the site, or whether it must be carried there in the holster of a
police officer. -- Marko Kloos.

November 2007 : Please comment on the latest draft of the Firearm Control Regulations.

October 18, 2007 :

Is it the bodyguards around you
Is it the high walls where you live
Or is it the men with the guns around you
Twenty four hours a day
That make you ignore the crying of the people
Farmers get killed everyday
And you say it is not that bad
Policemen get killed everyday
And you say it is not that bad
Maybe if you see it through the eyes
Of the victims
You will join us and fight this

October 14, 2007 :Sure we believe you, Mr President. "I prepared myself psychologically to be raped and knew that I could access the AZT anti-HIV cocktail at one of the private hospitals nearby. Many women survive rape in this country."

August 2007 : GFSA website now online.

July 4, 2007 : GOSA Press Release : We told you so!

July 4, 2007 : According to the PMG, the Justice Department and various other government departments are currently engaged in a process of drafting implementations plans for a Victims Charter. This is an opportunity to give input.

• Castle Doctrine : You should be within your rights to use lethal force against an intruder in your own home or on your property. Currently you have to prove that lethal force was necessary. This is wrong. It should be up to the state to prove that lethal force was not necessary.

July 3, 2007 : DA Press Release : Lack of SANDF Weapon Control a Disgrace.

June 1, 2007 : "It does not necessarily indicate a crisis if there has been 100% increase in one crime category." -- National Police Commissioner André Pruis.

May 29, 2007 : Ever wonder where the bad guys get guns and ammunition? 16 firearms "ordered" by criminals found in police custody. 40 000 rounds of ammunition also "disappeared" from the same storage facility.

May 21, 2007 :How Terrorists are stopped -- Joseph Farah mentions Charl van Wyk, GOSA national co-ordinator.

May 10, 2007 :The strange thing in South Africa is that when armed civilians defend themselves and their families, they are charged with murder. Yet, when a policeman shoots a criminal, no charges are laid.

April 17, 2007 : Press release : Virginia Tech, USA Shooting Rampage

April 16, 2007 : Randy Cassingham's Blog: Virginia Tech, Columbine and ZT

March 30, 2007 : The news programme on various radio stations are saying that licenced firearm owners born between April and June have to relicence by tomorrow or hand their firearms in for destruction. This is a lie spread by a press release from the victim disarmament guys.

All licences remain valid until June 2009! And even then, the state owes you compensation. So hold on to your firearms!

March 2, 2007 : If you are in the unfortunate situation of having your firearm stolen, this article from the Cape Times will come in handy. Quote : "Sinyangana said a report on Daniels' missing firearm would be circulated so police could be on the look-out for it. He said Daniels would not be charged with negligence because he was a victim of crime". Note : Ganief Daniels is the Western Cape Deputy Police Commisioner, and he was carrying a firearm in his briefcase along with R 9000 cash when it was stolen.

January 16, 2007 : The first draft of the proposed Amendments to the Firearm Control Regulations of 2004 has been released.

January 11, 2007 : If someone wearing a balaclava points a gun at you and beats you with a chair, it's probably the police. Shocking, but true.

January 10, 2007 : Gun Laws and Sudden Death -- did the Australian gun ban of 1996 make any difference?

January 2, 2007 : Family murders always seem to happen around Christmas. This year was, unfortunately, no exception. As always, it seems that our police service heads the list, as the following articles illustrate :

• 2006-12-01 : Policeman kills wife, then himself
• 2006-12-23 : Cop shoots wife after party
• 2006-12-30 : Cop kills girlfriend, son

December 31, 2006 : State losing legitimacy as it fails to protect -- Sunday Times.

November 30, 2006 : The Firearms Control Amendment Bill has been published in the Government Gazette.

B12C-2006 is the Portfolio Committee amendments.
B12D-2006 is the main document.

October 30, 2006 : The ICD "REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE MISSING FIREARMS AND RELATED MATTERS AT DURBAN METRO POLICE" is available for download.

"We have also discovered that the Central Firearms Registry (CFR) has also contributed to the problems in their failure to effectively implement the provisions of the Firearms Control Act and the regulations promulgated under the Act."

October 30, 2006 : On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs.

September 21, 2006 : If you carry a firearm with you for self-defence, you need to take a look at GUNSURE which is aimed at providing legal help to keep you out of jail after you were forced to shoot someone. It has other benefits too.

September 12, 2006 : We hear that the President has signed the Firearms Control Amendment Bill. If you have one of those recently de-regulated muzzle-loaders, you now need a competency certificate for it. If it's a cap and ball revolver, you now need a licence. Some sanity prevailed, and you don't need a permit for your silencer as was proposed in the drafts.

The main reason for having an Amendment Bill in the first place, namely that three quarters of legal firearm owners have so far decided not to renew their licences, has not been addressed at all. (The first draft made provisions to scrap relicencing, subsequent revisions dropped that idea like a hot potato -- strange, since it's actually the relicencing that's the hot potato). Come May 2010, the number of licenced firearms in the country will drop to one quarter. The number of unlicenced firearms will go up by around two and a half million or so. This will most likely be seen as a victory of some sort.

August 25, 2006 : Massmart has released a statement showing that violent crime is up 20% this year.

August 24, 2006 : The Democratic Alliance has launched the Victims of Crime website.

"The DA believes that the state should be a caring institution that puts ordinary people, their issues and their concerns at the very top of its agenda. Under the ANC government, however, the state is a ‘cold’ institution, uncaring and unsympathetic to the experiences of people on the ground."

August 17, 2006 : CAPE TOWN - The CRIME EXPO SOUTH AFRICA website is now 100% functional. Please support Neil Watson in his fight against crime.

August 2, 2006 : Apparently South African roads are not dangerous enough to warrant carrying a firearm.

25 Mei 2006 : Persverklaring deur Thomas Eastes, WESA : Kanadese besin oor duur en onpraktiese wapen wetgewing.

April 2006 : Our online shop is open for business.

April 2006 : You can now join GOSA online using your VISA or MasterCard.

March 2006 : Join our Online Forum where you will find newspaper articles, letters by GOSA members, educational articles, and other writings.

February 2006 : A large number of Pieter van Wyk's submissions on the Firearm Act have been scanned and placed online.

December 2005 : An Introduction to Gun Owners of South Africa by Charl van Wyk, our National Co-ordinator.