ACADEMY Award winning actor Charlton Heston will present the first “Charlton Heston Award for Courage Under Fire” to South African Home Affairs minister, Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi, at the 28th Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday night. It is speculated that the award is an attempt to influence South Africa’s gun control acts. Heston, 76, the star of great Hollywood epics like Benhur and Ten Commandments, supports the pro-gun lobby and is currently serving his third term as president of the National Rifle Association (NRA) of the United States. The NRA has five million members and is widely regarded as one of the most powerful private interest lobby groups in the United States. – African Eye News Service