NATIONAL NEWS - John Welch, president of the South African Gunowners’ Association (SAGA), says the Draft Firearms Control Amendment Bill is a move by government to try and effectively disarm South Africans.
Released on Friday night, the proposed amendment to current gun ownership legislation has become a national talking point.
One of the proposed amendments, which aims to remove self-defence as a valid reason to own a firearm, has gun owners up in arms.
“Government’s proposed amendments are draconian and far reaching,” says Welch.
According to him, the proposed amendments are an attack on the right of law-abiding citizens to own a firearm and defend themselves.
“Government previously threatened to disarm gun owners, and now they are actively trying to implement their plans. This will leave ordinary men and women without any means to defend themselves in a society that is plagued by a soaring crime rate,” says Welch.
He argues that law-abiding gun owners who were often able to respond to crimes before the authorities, because of the police’s slow reaction time, could now be restricted by law. “This will lead to a further increase in crime,” says Welch.
According to Welch, SAGA intends fighting the proposed amendment.
