Your Voice Can
Stop A Bullet
Overview
We all worry when we hear the sound of gunshots, and we should. Each day in Mzansi, 23 people are shot and killed. Guns, both legal and illegal, are easy to get and threaten the safety of everyone.
We can help change this. Changes that strengthen South Africa’s gun law and can help stop gun violence, are under discussion . These changes can only become a reality if enough of us act before public comment closes on the 2nd of August. The Draft Firearms Control Amendment Bill, published by the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, will reduce gun violence. You can read a useful five-page summary here.
TAKE ACTION
Six ways the stronger gun law can save lives:
1. More accountable police – Police to report quarterly on loss and theft of SAPS guns and guns in their care.
2. Save the lives of women – Women will be able to stop an abusive partner from getting a gun licence or have a gun removed immediately if he owns one.
3. Homes without guns are safer –Evidence shows that a gun in the home increases the risk of gun violence such as suicide and killing a loved one [1].
4. Less guns = less dead people – Making sure that there are less guns in our homes and on our streets. This would reduce the number of legal firearms that end up in the illegal pool and are used in crime.
5. Protect young people – Most people who shoot or are shot, are young men with guns, getting into fights [2]. Increasing the age limit to 26 years for a gun licence will help change this.
6. Limiting number of guns – This would mean limiting how many guns and bullets those who do hunting and sports-shooting have, and stop people stockpiling guns and bullets.