To fight gun violence, Gun Free SA calls on govt to prioritise firearm control

CAPE TOWN – Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) is calling on the government to prioritise firearm control to reduce violent crime in the country.

The call comes after the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) released a report with recommendations for police to reduce South Africa's murder rate, mainly caused by firearms.

GFSA director Adele Kirsten said the report identifies three key priorities for government to implement:

"Firstly, to map all gun-related crimes to ensure that police responses are better targeted and that sources of illegal firearms are more effectively disrupted. In addition, in order to do this the report calls for the establishment of dedicated firearms units. This is a call that GFSA has made repeatedly."

Another recommendation the report makes is for the firearms registry to be modernised.

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