Abuse with illegal firearms

THERE is an urgent need for our government to review the gun laws and probe the proliferation of illegal firearms. As horrific as the Poppy’s Restaurant New Year shooting in Melville, Johannesburg was, sadly it’s not the first gruesome incident involving guns.

Weeks ago, in a brazen shooting in a parking lot at Menlyn Maine shopping centre in Pretoria, a motorist was gunned down in front of shoppers, restaurant patrons and security guards.

In fact, some of our hospitals, clinics and medical personnel have been overwhelmed in treating patients with stab and gun wounds.

Furthermore, last year’s crime statistics showed that gun usage in this country is still insanely high.

Gun abuse has also proved to be a headache for various states in the US. It is our headache too.

In South Africa, to own a gun, one has to have a firearm licence, which has to be issued by the SAPS. This is after the person has had training at an accredited facility.

Some experts have argued that South African gun laws are strict and, at times, do not favour gun owners and makes it hard for them to protect themselves against violent criminals.

The law states that if gun owners fail to renew their gun licences, they are automatically considered to be in possession of an illegal firearm.

So why is there a high prevalence in gun-related deaths, if we have strict legislation for guns? Who is making it easier for criminals to access guns and how are they getting them?

As long as illegal firearms find their way to our streets, no one is safe and we cannot consider it a norm when so many innocent people lose their lives.