S Africa moves to curb gun crime

B]S Africa moves to curb gun crime

A new firearms law has come into force in South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of gun-related crime anywhere in the world. [/B]
Over 2m gun owners will have to reapply for their licences, undergo stringent checks and sit an exam.

The new Firearms Control Act also raises the legal age for owning a firearm from 16 to 21.

A late bid by the country's gun lobby to delay the bill's implementation failed in court.


No-one knows how many illegal weapons circulate in South Africa

'Radical'

The South African Gun Owners' Association said they feared a smooth implementation of the law would not be possible, but Judge Ben du Plessis rejected their argument saying it had "no factual basis".
"This country is sick and tired of the negative effects of serious violent crimes committed with firearms and government, through this legislation, adopted a constructive approach to address this problem," Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said.

Some 22,000 murders and 115,000 violent robberies were registered in South Africa between 2001 and 2002.

"It's a radical thing for South Africa and I am quite convinced that the teething problems will be sorted and that it will make a change in the long term, " said Judy Bassingthwaighte of the campaign group Gun-Free South Africa.

But some opponents to the bill feel the law is too strict.

"It's unnecessary, it's complicated, the training standard is too high, it infringes on an individual right to ownership and it gives the police excessive powers to search and seize items," Gun Owners' Association spokesman Martin Hood told AFP news agency.




NEW GUN LAW
Legal age up to 21
Background checks
Exams to prove competency
Firearm safety courses
No serious criminal record
Reviewed every 5 years


Police are in favour of the new legislation which replaces the 1969 Arms and Ammunitions Act, however the problem of illegal firearms remains a concern.
Nobody really knows how many illegal firearms there are in South Africa - estimates range between 500,000 and 4 million.

According to the Gun Control Alliance, a group that calls for the stricter control of firearms, 23,519 firearms were lost or stolen in 2001, an average of 64 guns a day.

Under the new legislation, a person must pass a competency certificate every five years to qualify for a gun licence.