TAKING GUNS AWAY

A risk South Africans cannot afford

SA – In a country where violent crime is an everyday reality, new behind-closed-doors discussions to tighten South Africa’s firearm laws have ignited outrage.

The South African Gunowners’ Association (SAGA) has sounded the alarm after discovering that a certain government body is allegedly brokering secret talks on amendments to the Firearms Control Act (FCA). Even more alarming, the firearms industry, sport shooting bodies, private security sector, and lawful gun owners have been completely excluded from these discussions.

This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised. There have been talks around these proposed amendments for a while, and on 27 August 2025, SAGA raised the alarm again, warning South Africans about what is at stake.

What’s on the table?

• Cutting down privately-owned firearms.
• Stricter licensing for self-defence firearms.
• Heavy restrictions on private security firearm use.
• New, onerous rules for storage, transport, and justification.

But here’s the real question: 

Who will protect us?

If ordinary citizens are stripped of their right to own a firearm, who will be able to defend them? Private security companies? Not likely — they’re targeted too. What about the thousands of farmers and families living far away from help? How are they supposed to survive an armed attack if their guns are gone?

And let’s not pretend the answer is calling the police. South Africans know the truth: SAPS is under-staffed, under-resourced, and overstretched. That’s saying it kindly.

A dangerous contradiction

The very idea of reducing lawful firearms in a country with one of the world’s highest crime rates raises an obvious contradiction: Why make law-abiding citizens more unsafe in a country already so dangerous?

South Africa’s firearm sector contributes billions to the economy, supports rural livelihoods, fuels hunting, sport shooting, and conservation — and most importantly — provides people with a fighting chance where the state cannot.

A call for transparency

SAGA insists that no changes to firearm law should even be considered without the firearms community at the table. “Disarming the law-abiding does not disarm criminals,” the association stresses.

South Africa doesn’t need secret deals or politically convenient decisions. What it needs is transparent, fact-based firearm policy that protects rights, livelihoods, and public safety.