[imagesource: Jaco Marais]

I’m not sure anybody needs to be reminded of the fact that South African gun crime is out of control.

America may be the land of school shootings and mass shootings, but every day in this country sees a level of violence often likened to a war zone.

Writing for the BBC, Pumza Fihlani spoke with experts who say that on average, nearly one person an hour is shot dead in South Africa.

A spate of tavern shootings in Soweto have again highlighted the lawlessness and impunity with which criminals operate. Earlier this month, 25 people were shot dead in four separate incidents. In one of the shootings, 16 people were killed.

Residents who spoke with the BBC said they are essentially being hung out to dry:

“I’ve lived here for many years, when we report it the police don’t come. They say this is a no-go area because of how dangerous it is. I don’t understand how they can say it’s a no-go area where there are people living here,” a resident said.

In parts of Cape Town, open warfare between rival gangs has communities living in fear.

Manenberg has seen “all-out war” for months as gangs battle for control of the streets and videos of shootings in broad daylight are sadly all too common.

Grassy Park, an area of less than 20km², recorded more murders in a recent five-month period than the whole of Switzerland (41 285 km²).

According to criminologists, gun violence has got worse. They say on average 23 people are killed with guns in South Africa each day, that is up from 18 people six years ago…

The police insist they are doing something about the gun problem.

They say that over the last 10 years they have found 70% of the missing guns – once found these guns are destroyed.

I guess we shouldn’t mention that last year, a number of robberies were reported at police stations around the country where hundreds of firearms were stolen.

At Norwood police station in Jozi, a probe revealed the theft of 158 firearms.

This weekend in Claremont and Harfield Village, two security guards were shot and robbed of their firearms. One of the guards was killed and the other injured.

South Africa’s murder rate sits at 39 homicides per 100 000 people, which is actually higher than many countries associated with drug cartels, like Mexico and Colombia.

According to research by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the global average murder rate is 6,1 per 100 000 people.

Damian Enslin, who chairs the South African Gunowners’ Association, doesn’t think tightening up existing gun ownership laws is the problem:

“It’s not a problem with civilian or private or lawful gun ownership. It’s a problem with organised crime getting their on the hands on those type of weapons…We already have good gun laws, we can have the best laws in the world but if there’s no one policing them it’s useless.”

On the other side of that argument, Gun Free South Africa director Adele Kirsten says:

“We have to mop up the illegal weapons but once you’ve removed the pool of illegal guns, you have to turn off the tap.”

I won’t even bother quoting Police Minister Bheki Cele because his words always ring hollow.

The sooner he is booted from any government position the better.

[source:bbc]