S Africans 'Armed To The Hilt'

South African civilians own more guns than the police and military combined, according to a study by Gun Free South Africa and Cape Town University. Some 8.4% of the population own a gun, which amounts to 3.7 million firearms, the researchers found.

In the region, on average 2.27% of the population own guns, while Mozambique has a rate of 0.04%, the study says.

South Africa has one of the world's highest incidences of gun-related crime which has led to new fire arm laws.

According to the legislation, which came into effect in July, gun owners now have to reapply for their licences, undergo stringent checks and sit an exam.

South Africa's high rate is a result of the legacy of apartheid where members of the white community were encouraged to own a firearm

"South Africa's high rate is a result of the legacy of apartheid where members of the white community were encouraged to own a firearm," report author, Guy Lamb, from Cape Town University's Centre for Conflict Resolution, told BBC News Online.

He said South Africans widely regard their environment as dangerous and so are looking for ways to protect themselves.

Additionally, members of the security forces were previously allowed to keep their firearms when they left the force.

He said that gun shops reported that black South Africans now accounted for most of their customers.

In spite of its 16-year civil war, Mozambique has the lowest level of gun ownership - at 0.4% of the population, the study says.

In Swaziland 0.95% of the population owned firearms, in Botswana 1.9% and in Zambia 0.86%.

South Africa 8.4%
Namibia 5.4%
Zambia 0.86%
Swaziland 0.95%
Mozambique 0.04%
Malawi 0.26%
Botswana 1.9%
Zimbabwe 0.32%

"Colonial laws in some countries... were very strict on firearms. These laws were maintained after independence," said Mr Lamb.

He also said gaining access to a gun in many countries was difficult, especially as guns are often not made locally.

The report, Hide and Seek: Taking Account of Small Arms in Southern Africa, was published this week.

Having spent some time in South Africa, Jo'burg specifically back in 1999/2000 all I can say is there is a reason that people have weapons. The crime was out of control. The hotel even encouraged us to use an armed escort (which the hotel was able to provide us) when we went out to certain tourist places. At night you could hear gun shots here and there and in the morning bodies would be laying in the streets in some sections. Unbelievable.

That town was what I imagined Dodge City to be when they talk about it in the old westerns. Although I understand it has improved, I can't imagine how since the police powers have been severely restricted by the new government.

Beautiful country though.

I would have to concur. Not making any commentary on the political aspect of apartheid. However, the powers of the police have been severely restricted by the recent South African leaders. This is in response to the heavy handed tactics used by the police during Apartheid.

Unfortunately, they went too far. Stripping the police of the powere and freedom to perform their job proficiently. Eventually they will find the right mix of police authority.

Additionally, while there is much black on white crime, giving support to many of the white supremecist factions in the country. The significant, and often undocumented, criminal activity is black on black. The murder rate is astonishingly high and often the murders are related to nothing more then some trivial matter. Sad really.

Selebi declares war on guns

Boyd Webb | Pretoria, South Africa

26 October 2004 15:24

The South African Police Service (SAPS) may be disarmed of its service pistols if no police officer is killed over a two-year period, said National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi on Tuesday.

"If I can record zero police deaths in two years, then I will be in a position to say that we can look at taking weapons away from police," said the commissioner.

Selebi also said he will shortly turn schools into gun-free zones where not even police officers will be allowed to enter with their weapons.

"Students should be allowed to express themselves without police running into their schools with guns," he said, but noted that other ways of managing crime problems at education institutions will have to be found.

Selebi said drugs are a huge problem and that the "drug consumption in Pretoria schools was amazing".

Speaking at the launch of a study on the proliferation of small arms in Southern Africa -- sponsored by Gun Free South Africa, the Institute for Security Studies and the Centre for Conflict Resolution -- Selebi said there has been a marked decrease in the number of weapons in South Africa since 1997.

Contributing greatly to this, Selebi said, was the success of Operation Rachel in Mozambique where the SAPS had been involved in the searching and destroying of arms caches.

According to statistics released by the commissioner, 42,2% of rapes are committed at gunpoint in South Africa, and 73% of attempted murders and 78,4 percent of aggravated robberies involve the use of small weapons.

Many of the country's illegal weapons are alleged to have been smuggled in from Mozambique.

But with the 10th Operation Rachel completed last week, Selebi said 1 300 heavy weapons had been found and destroyed along with 187 hand grenades, 236 mortars and millions of rounds of ammunition.

With this in mind, Selebi said, the SAPS will soon be conducting a similar operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"We are today [Tuesday] having a meeting in Pretoria with members of the DRC police and representatives from Norway," he said.

Selebi said that during the meeting, guidelines will be discussed for going into the DRC to search for and destroy small firearms.

"What the politicians are doing won't come to anything if there are marauding groups of people with weapons running around," he said.

He noted that this operation will not only benefit the DRC, but also the Great Lakes region and the continent of Africa as a whole.

Discussing the worldwide phenomenon of small arms and their use in crime, Selebi noted that other countries have approached South Africa to help train their respective police institutions to detect and destroy small firearms.

"We are currently helping Swaziland and Lesotho, and this week, officials from Nicaragua have asked us to help them," he said.

Selebi said he will use his term as head of Interpol to push for the regulation of small weapons and the detection and destruction of illicit firearms.

He said it is important to unite the globe to stop the proliferation of small arms as it has done with landmines.

"And it's important to ensure that fewer of these small arms reach our continent," he said. -- Sapa

You can't imagine how stupid it is. The police are not allowed to draw their weapons until they have taken fire! Even then, they are more likely to end up in a murder trial than the criminals, since the justice system is all screwed up. Recently, a man who killed 4 people, after raping the mom and daughter, was found guilty and sentenced to 8 years in prison. According to the law, police would not have been able to use their service weapons to arrest him had they caught him just before killing and raping. The citizens are armed, but if you happen to shoot and not kill, you are headed for jail, and have to pay reparations to the "victim". If you do kill in self defence, you are immediately charged with murder, until a judge decides whether it was justifiable homocide. Crazy place.

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