Owning a gun can get you killed, says Gun Free SA

Gun owners are more at risk of being killed during robberies than unarmed residents. 

This is according to Dr Stanley Maphosa, Gun Free SA’s Executive Director, who said his organisation has recently embarked on different campaigns aimed at discouraging people from buying guns after noticing that several studies showed that owning a gun is a risk.

He said there has been an increase in the number of South Africans buying guns for protection.   

“There is a significant increase in the number of gun licence applications and firearms in South Africa. Since 2020/21, gun licence applications have increased by 45% (from 107 631 to 156 386 in 2023/24). Between 2020 and 2023, an additional 48 000 guns were licensed in South Africa.

“It confirms previous research findings stating that the presence of a gun significantly increases the risk of death during robberies. Gun owners whose firearms were stolen during robberies faced an even higher likelihood of being killed. This debunks the myth that guns provide effective self-defence,” said Maphosa.

“We urge South Africans to be aware of the significant risks of a gun for both the owner and the wider community in light of this compelling evidence that guns make us less, not more, safe.”

ALSO READ: South Africa’s gun trade and its impact on Africa

Maphosa said the campaign of discouraging people from owning guns was encouraged by research conducted around 2014, which showed that older white men who were armed were at higher risk of being killed during home and business robberies.

During the study, the researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand, University of Cape Town and South African Medical Research Council, analysed almost 69 000 robberies reported to the police between 2003 and 2014. They believed the risk to older white men was because they were more likely to be armed and more likely to resist an attack.

According to the researchers, older white men may be perceived as more threatening to robbers’ success, potentially triggering deadly violence.

“The presence of self-defence weapons, particularly when stolen during the robbery, significantly raises the stakes,” the report stated.

NOW READ: Gun deaths spike to 33 daily – more than car crashes