The firearms Control Act has effectively removed 1,350,000 firearms from the public between 2004 and 2007 in denied sales and handed in firearms (600,000 claimed SAPS).  Despite false promises of a safer South Africa, government denials and spin-doctors’ glib words of praise the violent crime rate continues to increase and at the same time unwarranted violence in crime is also increasing.  Clearly government policy is at fault and while the SAPS cannot remedy that they most certainly can point out the failings and refuse to enforce this Act.   Unfortunately the political stranglehold on the police is such that any police officer brave enough to do that would find himself or herself without a job or in a dead end career path. 

At the other end of the spectrum we have in the period 1994 to 2000 a 21% decrease in murder.  At the same time legal firearm ownership increased by 64% mainly due to sales to blacks.  No other police intervention can adequately explain this crime decrease no matter how it is attempted.  No amount of conjecture of political stability can explain this decrease.

It is incredable how sensible people can even suggest that any restriction will deprive criminals of what they want and desire or can sell at a profit.  When the SAPS suggest such restrictions is can only be a political aganda because the SAPS have no excuse for not knowing better.

The British and USA experience

One only has to look to England to see the result of a handgun ban and skyrocketing violent crime with vastly increased numbers of illegal firearms.  In contrast the USA is enjoying the lowest levels of crime ever recorded by scrapping firearms control laws and allowing citizens to carry firearms for self protection. From the original eight states that allowed concealed carry more than 38 states now have shall issue laws or complete freedom to carry.  Castle doctrine laws have been introduced so the frivolous practice of charging victims of crime is prevented.

Draining the lake

Attempting to drain the lake with a teaspoon by restricting civilian firearm ownership is futile.

There is no evidence to suggest that criminals will not and cannot obtain firearms from any number of alternative sources.  Complete bans even show no restriction or deminishing of criminal guns.  The war on drugs is a good example of futile efforts to restict a desired wanted product.

The number of illegal firearms is estimated to be between 3.5 million (GFSA) and 500,000 (SAPS).  A number somewhere in-between is far more realistic.  The police have recovered  about hundred thousand of those firearms at enormous expense.  The number of firearms required to satisfy the violent criminal demand is small and less than a few hundred thousand will be more than adequate.  The remaining hundreds of thousand to millions of illegal firearms will be able to satisfy that demand many times over.  This neglects the important fact that criminals will obtain firearms if they are desired and by the same means that tons of drugs enter the country year by year, thousands of firearms are a small addition to bring into the country. 

The ANC has not revealed a single arms cache.  Hundreds of tones of war munitions and arms are available to supply the criminal market.  The ANC and SAPS made the claim to the TRC commission that these arms caches presented no danger to the public and there was considerable debate and doubt on research that disagreed. 

If the government and SAPS consider fireams such a danger to the public why have they never handed over or confiscated these illegal ANC arms caches?

Cost benefit to society 

The SAPS have never given a cost benefit analysis of the SA firearms register or any other intervention for that matter.  This makes difficult if not impossible the task of improving efficiency to benefit the crime fighting ability of the SAPS ensuring more criminals are arrested, convicted and face punishment. 

To the delight of government nor can it be determined with certainty that the police are not simply wasting time and resources on unproductive agendas.  This in no way negates world experience of complete and utter failure.   Nor is there any hope that a South African version will do any better.