JEREMY LOVELL, Cape Town | Wednesday
SOUTH African legislators have approved a controversial new gun law which imposes strict limits on firearm ownership and gives police sweeping powers of search and seizure, in spite of vociferous opposition to the bill.
The Firearms Control Bill 2000, which has sparked street protests by the mainly white pro-gun lobby during its long drafting process, has been approved by parliament’s safety and security committee and will be passed by parliament this week.
The Bill, which will be phased in over five years, limits self-defence ownership to one handgun or shotgun with the licence renewable every five years.
Part-time hunters and sports shooters can own up to four guns while professional hunters, sportsmen and women and security firms can hold an unlimited number.
Automatic or semi-automatic weapons will be illegal, as will gun ownership for people under 21 years of age, the mentally unstable and convicted violent criminals.
The Bill also gives police the right to search people and premises without warrants on suspicion of a firearm offence.
”The Bill does little or nothing to reduce the levels of violent crime because the fundamentals underpinning the Bill are totally flawed,” said opposition Democratic Alliance member Boy Geldenhuys.
”Illegal firearms are a major contributor to violent crime in South Africa and not legally-owned firearms as assumed by the drafters of the Bill,” he added.
Police say there are 3.5 million licensed firearms spread among the country’s 1.9 million legal gun owners.
Officials estimate there are only 500000 illegal weapons in the country, while pro-gun lobbyists put the figure at close to four million.
Half of the 25000 murders in South Africa each year are committed with guns, many of which are stolen from legal owners. – Reuters