James Morobane, a 45-year-old Katlehong businessman and married father of four, says he is seriously considering purchasing a firearm in order to protect himself and his family against criminals.
Morobane told Kathorus MAIL that in the past two years alone he has been mugged more than twice, his house was burgled three times and he and his wife survived being hijacked twice at the end of February.
The Spruitview small-business owner said that during these incidents, he lost goods to the value of just over R250 000 which he had to replace. He explained that despite being traumatised by these incidents, which left him almost bankrupt, he did not bother to file a report with the police, as he felt it would be a waste of time since he could not identify those responsible.
Morobane said he knows of several business colleagues in other parts of Kathorus who have suffered similar experiences and feel the same way about reporting their cases to the police.
“You feel stupid reporting a case to the police when you don’t even know who the culprit or culprits are,” said Morobane.
Dalisile Ndlovu, 52, a Spruitview widow aged 49, also indicated her interest in obtaining a firearm for self protection. “I am a widow and I live with my three teenage daughters who are between the ages of 14 and 19. The nagging fear of being attacked in our home is a constant reminder of the high crime rate in our townships,” she said. She pointed out that she believes by owning a gun she will be able to protect her family from criminal attacks.
Simon Njikelana, of Marimba Gardens in Vosloorus, is a long-distance truck driver who said he spends most of his time away from his wife, their 10-year-old son and his ageing mother. He said he is also contemplating obtaining a firearm for protection. “I have read about people being killed like sitting ducks in their own homes and I don’t want to be another crime statistic,” he said.
Abdul Mbokazi, of Palm Ridge, who owns a television repair shop in Germiston, said although he is seriously thinking of buying a gun to protect himself, he is scared of finding himself on the opposite end of his own firearm. “I’ve read stories about people being killed with their own firearms and this scares me to death,” said Mbokazi.
According to the 2015/16 crime statistics, gun violence killed an estimated 16 people a day in South Africa, and this has people scared.
However, according Lt. Colonel Eddie Makutu, the head of the Firearms, Second-Hand Goods and Liquor Unit (FLASH) at the Ramokonopi SAPS, people who want to own a firearm are required by law to undergo certain regulatory training processes. “Buying and owning a firearm is in itself a huge responsibility with strict rules and regulations. A violation of any of these rules could land a gun owner in prison, for negligence, or even murder in the event of the firearm being used negligently, even if it is by another person,” explained Makutu.
Makutu added, “Gun ownership can be more problematic than many people are made to believe. It is not as easy and simple as some people think, as it could land the owner in more trouble than the protection it provides, because of the country’s strict laws that govern the ownership of a firearm,” he said.
