Mchunu's move to impose stricter gun laws on private security aimed at driving out rogue elements - SAGA

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Gun Owners Association believes a decision taken by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to impose stricter gun laws on the private security sector is aimed at driving out rogue elements.

Last week, Mchunu quietly drafted proposals to the Private Security Industry Regulation Act after consultations with the body that oversees private security in the country, PSiRA.

Gideon Joubert of the SA Gun Owners Association said that if they were looking to disarm rogue elements in the private sector, they should go after these companies or individuals separately rather than putting the entire industry at risk of collapse.

"There’s this idea that well, if we just make the regulation tougher then that’s going to do something to these rogue players operating outside of the law anyway, or they think it will create the impression with the public in general that the regulator is somehow getting tough on it," said Joubert.

He added that this would have the opposite effect of what they were trying to achieve, resulting in crime spiraling completely out of control.

"Instead, what they’re doing is, they’re selling the legitimate role-players in the industry who really want the rogue guys out with an impossible set of restrictions and the rogue players are going to continue doing what they’re doing and in fact might grow into the vacuum left by the legitimate industry contracting as a result of this," said Joubert.