EDITOR – This media statement is issued by SAGA in the interest of citizens’ rights to be free and responsible.
SAGA promotes the right of citizens to choose whether or not to keep and bear firearms for self-defence and other lawful purposes, while always adhering to the principles of safety and responsibility.
The recent spate of armed robberies in shopping malls have apparently surprised many, even the police. Why the police are surprised is not known since their Crime Intelligence Division ought to have been working on this and all serious crime threats by gathering information and analysing such as to efficiently address criminality.
In many of these robberies mobile phone shops have been targeted, which shows that there obviously must be a lucrative market for these devices. Since all these devices must be registered and comply with specific requirements they ought to be traceable – why then are they not being traced?
During a recent radio interview I stated that banning guns from shopping malls is no solution, in fact it will increase criminality. Criminals will soon realise that they are the only ones who may have guns (or whatever other dangerous weapons) – after all, criminals do not adhere to laws, that is why they are criminals – and accordingly the shopping mall managers and owners will play right in their hands.
Security officials doing duty at shopping malls need to be well-trained, vetted (to ensure loyalty to the law) and vigilant. There must also be a much greater focus on visible policing. The festive season is almost upon us and still we have not seen an increase in visible policing! Why not? The police must further share their (relevant) crime intelligence with shopping mall managers to ensure that they and security officials would know who and what to look out for and thus focus on prevention. By banning guns they will only play in the hands of the criminals.
SAGA calls upon all its members and all citizens to be responsible, to not take the law into their own hands and to abide by the law at all times. Unless you are trained in law enforcement do not get involved, rather leave it to the police. However, when there is an unlawful and violent threat against yourself or your loved ones, you are within your constitutional right to defend it. And if you have a choice of shopping centres to use, you may choose to rather do your shopping where your civil liberties are not infringed.
John Welch
South African Gunowners' Association (SAGA)
*Letter Shortened – Editor
