SAs cannot allow govt to take away their right to self-defence, says Marius Roodt - Biznews
1 June 2021 - The news that newly proposed firearms legislation would no longer recognise self-defence as a valid reason to own a firearm, has been met with anger, despair, and disbelief. And not only by those who own a gun.
The South African government has recently announced an intention to propose laws that would effectively prevent firearm ownership for the purpose of self-defence. Recently, firearm campaigner Gideon Joubert joined the BizNews Power Hour (listen below) to explain why this is a harmful idea. “In this bizarre sort of ambiance of increasing violent crime and a complete dysfunctional police organ, that the government now proposes to remove, from citizens, the ability to defend themselves with firearms legally.” Below, journalist Marius Roodt writes that South Africa can barely perform the most basic of functions (like water or refuse removal) yet want to take away “the
Government announced a proposed law that would prevent gun ownership for the purposes of self-defence. Firearm campaigner Gideon Joubert joined the BizNews Power Hour to give insights on what the firearm community thinks about this. Joubert says taxi associations and military personnel are unhappy and plan to oppose this. In a country with high crime statistics, is this a good idea?
Gideon Joubert on his experience with crime:
It was a hijacking/kidnapping on Easter weekend in 2007, where I essentially had to bail out of a moving vehicle. Miraculously, they did recover my car. It only took about a month to get it out of the pound. Unfortunately, I don’t think policing has improved in South Africa since then. If I look at the statistics, since 2011, we’ve had an increase in the homicide rate every single year. It’s been a decade of that. We have sexual violence and rape cases reported at about 40,000-50,000 a year. Considering the the generally accepted, horrendously ‘underr
Internal party conflict results in suspended service deliveries for ANC towns
Local government in the North West province is in the midst of a dispute – and the town is suffering because of it. The Ditsobotla municipality (which has two mayors) has seen service deliveries grind to a halt. The Daily Friend reports that in a Lichtenburg township, refuse has remained uncollected for months. At the heart of the conflict are two ANC factions, both battling for control of the local municipality. ‘Factional’ politics, as the Daily Friend describes it, has spilled over into neighbouring towns. Tswaing had its mayor, Dimakatso Malwane voted out of office in June last year. After winning reinstatement, Malwane was voted out yet again and replaced by Olaotswe Makalela. Uncertainty as to which mayor has access to the town bank account has prompted First National Bank to suspend Tswaing’s bank account. Warring factions and local politicians embroiled in rivalry’s and battles has seen t