Gun-control laws possibly to be tightened

The Minister of Police hosted the National Dialogue on crime and violence at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, on November 20 and 21.

Nhleko highlighted how guns were used in many serious crimes.”Murder remains high and rising. The most important feature to note though is that out of 6000 cases of murder, 2500 were committed with guns,” said Nhleko.

“In the attempted murder category, about 80 per cent of weapons used were guns.

“The highest province is Gauteng followed by KwaZulu-Natal. This is the same as in attempted murder.”

In light of this,  Nhleko said effective gun control and non-proliferation of firearms needs to be addressed.

“We have therefore challenged ourselves to find solutions. For example, we are in the process of amending the Firearms Control Act No 60 of 2000 as a way of responding to the violent nature as displayed in the statistics for murder and attempted murder above.

“There are a number of other measures that we are proposing but this session is dedicated to the views of those in our society who have studied our crime patterns and will advise on some of the interventions that we need to consider in making our beautiful country safe.

“A task team will be submitting a report to the Minister of Police that will give guidance and advice on the possible policy and legislative approaches to be followed in amending the act.

Regarding violence in general,  Nhleko said contact crimes, by their very nature, limit the enjoyment of life and leads to fear of the crime.

“This is perhaps the most debilitating consequence of a criminal environment; making people afraid to lead normal lives,” said Nhleko.

“One of the worst manifestations of contact crime relate to the abuse of women, children and the elderly.

“As we gather today on the eve of commemorating the 16 Days of Activism Against Women and Child abuse, we need to make the vulnerable amongst us safe from crime and the fear of crime. “It has to be pointed out that the indicators are pointing towards a decrease of 5.2 per cent on the sexual offences compared to the corresponding period. But clearly we still need to do more in ensuring that our vulnerable groups are not taken advantage of.

“When it comes to grievous bodily harm cases, the weapon of choice has been the knife, followed by bottle and others weapons including steel pipes.”The highest provinces on GBH are Gauteng, followed by KZN and Eastern Cape.

“These are the kind of categories that would make it impossible for a woman to walk home in peace; for a tired work to have peace as they make their way back to their families; for our young people to experience outdoor life irrespective of the hour or areas.

“This is a challenge.

“At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to raise our children and their children in an environment that not only is safe but also removes the fear of crime in their daily lives so that they can become active members of the society and they can contribute to the economic growth of this country.

“Clearly, the fear of crime can hold a nation back and negatively impact on its progress. The institution that has been mandated by the Constitution to deal with stability is the Department of Police and through it, the South African Police Service and other institutions in the Ministry.

“But policing and removing this fear should be a joint effort between the police and the policed.”

The aim of the dialogue was to afford the public and the key stakeholders an opportunity to contribute towards strategies to prevent and combat crime and violence in our community.

The dialogue was seen as another government initiative of ensuring safety in the community by working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.