Institute for Security Studies Arms Management Programme

1
Institute for Security StudiesArms Management
Programme

• Safety and Security Portfolio Committee
• 14 August 2002

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The Impact of Firearms in South Africa
3
Briefing Overview

• Firearms, crime and violence in South Africa
• Public opinion on firearms
• International trends
• South Africas response
• Can South Africa go gun-free?

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Firearms, Crime and Violence

• Overview of firearm use in South Africa
• 3.76 million licensed firearms for private use
• 500 000 illegal guns in circulation
• 82 privately-owned guns are lost or stolen every
  day - a number that has nearly doubled since 1994
• Continuous leakage from the licensed, privately
  owned and state-owned pools of firearms into
  illegal circulation

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Firearms Crime Robbery

Source CIMC
6
Firearms Crime Murder
Source R Chetty and CIMC
7
Firearms Crime Murder

• Use of firearms in murder
• Account for weapon used in 50 of murder
• Firearm murder highest cause of non-natural death
  in South Africa

Source NIMSS
8
Firearms Crime Police Deaths
9
Snapshot Firearms Crime in Hillbrow
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Firearms Violence Suicide

• Young men most at risk of suicide
• Whites most likely to use a firearm to commit
  suicide
• Gauteng and Northern Cape lead firearm suicides

Source NIMSS
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Firearms Violence Non-fatal Injury

• Most non-fatal injury perpetrated with a sharp or
  blunt object
• Firearms account for only 16 of non-fatal injury

Source NIMSS
12
Firearms Illegal Use
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Firearms Loss
Source R Chetty
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Firearms Legal Users

• 3.76 m firearms licensed to individuals
• 2.2 m firearms licensed to 660,000 individuals
• 500,000 licensed to government departments
• 95,000 licensed to institutions (e.g. private
  security)

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Firearms Legal Users
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Public Opinion

• About 50 of South Africans support restricting
  possession of firearms to security forces
• For those who own guns for self-defence, most
  common reason is to protect oneself
• Most people look to policing and government
  structures to reduce impact of firearms on
  communities

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Who Should Own a Gun?
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Who Should Own a Gun?
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Who Should Own a Gun?
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Use of a Firearm for Self-defence
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Use of a Firearm for Self-defence
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Public Opinion

• 40 of people would be willing to own a gun
• Reasons to own a firearm
• Self-defence (77)
• Security concerns (12)
• If security improved, over 80 would encourage
  people to stop owning guns

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Public Opinion Recommended Action
More police/assistance to police
42
Community involvement
30
Confiscate unlicensed firearms
25
Implement laws
15
Restrict ownership
15
Stricter licensing
9
Tighten gun laws
8
Ban all firearms
4
3
Restrict manufacturing
Limit firearm sales
3
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International Trends

• Use of guns in crime and violence increased
  globally between 1970s-1990s, appears to be
  stabilising
• Dual approach focusing on legal and illegal
  firearms
• New legislation limiting users, use and types of
  weapons
• Canada, Australia, Brazil, UK, South Africa,
  under review in most SADC countries
• Increased priority given to illegal firearms in
  policing
• South Africa, UK, Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania

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International Trends

• Public support for limiting access to firearms
• Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Canada,
  European countries
• Increased cooperation among police forces to
  combat organised crime and trafficking of goods
• Southern Africa, Americas, Europe, UN Convention
  on Organised Crime, UN Firearms Protocol and UN
  Programme of Action on Small Arms

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International ComparisonsFirearm Robberies
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International ComparisonsFirearm Murders
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South Africas Response

• Firearms Control Act
• Restrictions on ownership and use
• Improving police capacity
• Improving systems to track and monitor firearm
  owners
• SAPS Strategic Plan - priority on firearms
• Surplus weapons destruction policies
• Improving control over state-owned weapons
• Supporting sub-regional and international
  initiatives

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Benefits

• Improving record-keeping and training
• Encouraging more responsible firearm ownership
• Reducing types and numbers of firearms in legal
  circulation
• Removing surplus/obsolete firearms
• Training specialised firearms officers within
  SAPS
• Increasing regional cooperation (e.g. positive
  impact of Operations Rachel)

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Challenges

• Loss of specialised firearms units
• Monitoring, spot checking lapsed
• Delay in training detectives in firearms-related
  issues
• Mandate and function of DFOs - administrative not
  investigative
• Relicensing and collecting excess/illegal
  firearms
• Implementation and enforcement of Act by SAPS

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Can South Africa go Gun-free?

• Pros
• Cost of firearms to society (80 of non-natural
  deaths were males, with majority in 25-34 year
  range)
• Public support around 50 for limiting ownership
• Linkages between legal and illegal firearms
  recognised
• South Africas neighbours would be relieved

• Cons
• Insecurity and perceived need for firearms
• Legacy of past and unequal access to guns
• Ability of SAPS to implement new law
• Political will to take initiative

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Thank you!

• Sources used
• Institute for Security Studies http//www.iss.co.z
  a
• SAPS CIMC www.saps.gov.za
• NIMSS 2001 Annual Report www.nimss.co.za
• HSRC 2001 national survey
• Department of Justice, Canada
• Ryerson University, Canada
• Kings College, England