Gun control is needed

While we all know SA is turning out to be a very violent country, very few people seem to understand what is driving this wave of violent crime and why it has become even more difficult to rein in.

If you knew that in the last three years alone, 1,725 firearms belonging to the SAPS were lost, then you would see the depth of the crime problem we have.

That is roughly 61 guns per month, and seemingly this will continue unabated.

I was in Gqeberha in December in one of the locations, where I was told that members of the SAPS who live in that township never wear their uniforms when they go to work, they carry them in a bag and change when they get to work.

They have also stopped carrying their firearms when going home. They leave them at the police station because they fear being robbed of their firearms when they go home.

We have heard of numerous instances where police stations have been invaded by criminals at night, taking all the firearms in the safe, including R4 machine guns.

According to Gun Free SA, the number cited by the SAPS is only the tip of the iceberg as far as stolen guns are concerned.

It believes some SAPS members are actively involved in the disappearance of these guns.

Some are actively selling these guns to criminals and gangs to make a profit, as was the case in Cape Town where a policeman sold thousands of guns to the criminal gangs.

Not included in the tally by the SAPS are the guns stolen or lost by the SANDF, private gun owners and correctional services department.

In a radio interview, Gun

Free SA quoted an astonishing figure of 25,000 guns stolen from private gun owners in the last few years.

People may not understand what a serious problem a proliferation of illegal guns poses.

It means whoever shoots someone can do so with impunity as the gun used cannot be linked to him unless it is found in his possession.

Can you imagine how many unsolved crimes there are due to these untraceable guns?

Criminals can shoot anyone and just toss the gun away and no-one would be able to trace it back to them.

This glut of illegal guns also means anyone who wants to commit a crime can get hold of an untraceable gun with ease, as there are so many of them in illegal circulation.

Civil organisations such as Gun Free SA want the access to legal guns for private individuals to be curtailed, if not banned altogether, as they believe having so many guns in private hands makes it easier for criminals to get hold of them. They also believe having fewer guns will lead to less violent crimes.

What is your take? Should private gun ownership be limited to stop gun-related crimes?

Would it lead to many vulnerable people being open to criminal activities?

Are we too late to turn back the tide? I do not have the answers, do you?