Warning for legal firearm owners in South Africa

The controversial Firearms Control Amendment Bill (FCAB) has resurfaced in South African politics, reigniting a fierce debate that pits the government’s push for tighter gun control against citizens’ need for self-protection in a country plagued by violent crime.

The proposed legislation, which faced massive public opposition in 2021, seeks to overhaul the Firearms Control Act, 2000.

Critics warn it represents a “dangerous power grab” that targets law-abiding citizens while failing to address the true sources of illegal firearms.

At the heart of the controversy is the proposal to remove self-defence as a valid reason for obtaining a firearm licence.

For many South Africans, particularly those in high-crime areas, this is viewed as irrational and a betrayal by a state that is often unable to guarantee public safety.

The FCAB, currently under review at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), introduces several stringent measures.

This includes the abolition of self-defence as a licence purpose, reduced licence validity periods, tighter ammunition limits, increased restrictions on collectors and sport shooters, and expanded discretionary powers for the Police Minister.

Some opposition parties, civil rights organisations and firearm-rights advocacy groups argue the Bill’s focus is fundamentally misdirected.

They point to persistent failures within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Central Firearms Register (CFR) as the real drivers of gun violence.

Thousands of state-issued firearms have reportedly been lost or stolen from police armouries over the years, many later linked to serious crimes.

This position appears to be supported by the government’s own admissions.

Responding to a parliamentary question in December, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia acknowledged that illegal firearms largely originate from sources unrelated to licensed civilian ownership.

“The increase in illicit firearms entering the Republic is primarily caused by diversion from legal markets, through theft, fraud, straw purchases, cross-border trafficking, and illicit manufacturing,” Cachalia said.

He further noted that firearms are “mainly smuggled from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Lesotho”, adding that criminal syndicates are exploiting South Africa’s porous borders and informal crossings.

Taking away their lifeline in the wake of the crime epidemic

Safe Citizen Campaign director Jonathan Deal argues that these admissions undermine the central premise of the Bill.

“The proposed amendments place overriding regulatory focus on licensed private firearm owners, despite official acknowledgment that unlicensed guns are primarily sourced through border smuggling, corruption and losses of state-owned firearms,” Deal said.

He added that international research shows violence is deterred “at the intent level, not merely the tool level”, warning that excessive regulation without effective enforcement may worsen overall violence rather than reduce it.

“Effective government and policing build deterrence through public trust, accountability and social norms that discourage violence — reducing crime across all methods, not only firearms,” Deal said.

DA MP and chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, echoed these concerns, arguing that the Bill would leave ordinary citizens defenceless.

“Disarming law-abiding South Africans will not stop violent crime. It will only make our communities more vulnerable while leaving the real culprits — corrupt officials and criminal syndicates — untouched,” Cameron said.

“The state fails every single day to protect its citizens from violent crime, and any attempt to disarm law-abiding South Africans is, in fact, taking away their lifeline in the wake of the crime epidemic that continues to plague our country.”

While proponents of the Bill, including the Police Ministry, insist firearm ownership is a privilege rather than a constitutional right, critics argue that in a country with one of the world’s highest murder rates, removing lawful self-defence options effectively strips citizens of their right to life and security of person.

During the 2021 KwaZulu-Natal unrest, private citizens and security companies often stepped in when police were overwhelmed — an experience frequently cited as evidence that responsible civilian firearm ownership remains a necessary safeguard.

Deal warns that imposing “unnecessary and disproportionate burdens” on compliant firearm owners risks diverting attention from more urgent priorities.

“Directing resources toward border controls, intelligence operations and internal audits of state-issued firearms would be a rational and defensible priority,” he said.

The Bill remains in a crucial public participation phase through NEDLAC, with advocacy groups urging South Africans to make submissions, as they did in 2021 when widespread opposition temporarily halted the legislation.