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Gun Free South Africa Day

21 September 2008

News

‘Bring jou masjiengeweer . . . om vernietig te word’
ILLANA FRANTZ Die Burger, 14 July 2008KAAPSTAD. – Gewapen met plakkate het lede van die drukgroep Gun-Free South Africa (GFSA) gister die oorlogslied “Umshini Wami” in ’n betoging teen vuurwapens gesing. Die sowat 50 mense het voor die Kaapse stadsaal in die lied gevra dat masjiengewere na hulle gebring word sodat hulle dit kan vernietig. Daar is onderlangs gefluister dat die groep nie dié liedjie moet sing nie.
“Ek is ten gunste van die liedjie,” het mnr. Thembani Dyule, projek-koördineerder van die GFSA, by navraag gesê. “Ons wil hê mense moet hul vuurwapens bring sodat dit vernietig kan word.”Van die plakkate het gelui: “Gun de¬struction is community construction” en “Destroy guns before they destroy us”. Die groep het ook hul stemme laat hoor in die lig van Internasionale Vuurwapenvernietigingdag wat Dinsdag gedenk is.
Dyule het gesê die drukgroep is dankbaar vir die polisie se bydrae om ongelisensieerde en onwettige vuurwapens uit die gemeenskap te verwyder. “Die polisie werk hard om beslag te lê op onwettige vuurwapens en dit te vernietig, maar hulle moenie nou laat slap lê nie. Daar kan nog steeds meer gedoen word.”Luidens ’n verklaring is ongeveer 5 000 vuurwapens verlede maand in samewerking met die Wes-Kaapse polisie vernietig.’n Versoekskrif is aan dir. Lynette Barnes, stasiebevelvoerder in die Kaapstad Sentraal-polisiekantoor, oorhandig. Barnes het die groep verseker dat die polisie steeds voortgaan om van onwettige vuurwapens ontslae te raak. Barnes het onderneem om die versoekskrif aan komm. Mzwandile Petros, Wes-Kaapse polisiehoof, te oorhandig. Petros was in ’n vergadering en kon nie die verrigtinge bywoon nie.

Cape Times Friday 11, 2008

Legal firearms get into wrong hands – GFSA

Aziz Hartley

Firearms in the wrong hands wreak havoc on the community and while the police’s destruction of thousands of guns was commended, more should be done to reduce the number of firearms in circulation, Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) said.

“Legal firearms are the main source of illegal firearms. We want to see more done to ensure a negligent owner is never again allowed to have a firearm and confiscated legal firearms are not kept at police stations, but actually destroyed.

“The law allows for a person to re-apply after five years to own a firearm again. We will be glad when a person is declared unfit to own a firearm, it must be for life,” GFSA project co-ordinator Thembani Dyule said yesterday when the organisation’s supporters picketed outside the City Hall in Cape Town on International Gun Destruction Day.

Faiza Hendricks, a Hanover Park pensioner, said: “I’ve experience of how guns in our community are destroying our people. Imagine what it’s like when your family is afraid to sit in the lounge for fear a bullet might come through the window.

aziz.hartley@inl.co.za

Events

Alex Crime Summit 26 July 2008

GFSA was invited as a pannelist at the Alexander Crime Summit in Gauteng organised by the Alexander Community Policing Forum. The keynote address was delivered by the Gauteng Police Commissioner Naidoo. The panel included members of SAPS, the Department of Justice, the Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Education, the Liquor Board, the Gauteng Gambling Board, the Department of Social Services and the Human Rights Commisssion.

Firearms in Domestic Relationships Training Workshop 29 - 31 July 2008

Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) conducted training to empower service providers that deal with domestic violence and gender-based violence to use provisions in the new Firearms Control Act (FCA) to address the use of guns in domestic violence. The workshop took place over three days with participants from Guguletu, Nyanga and Phillipi.

Guns in Domestic Violence Training Workshop Mosaic 17 July 2008

GFSA facilitated a training wortkshop with Mosaic Court workers, Social auxiliary workers and Counselors from Atlantis, Paarl, Khyelisha, Strand, Wellington, Bishop Lavis, Wynberg, Mitchell's Plain, Wellington, Delft, Kensington & Fractreton, Mfuleni, Nyanga & Gugulethu, and Muisenberg,

The content of the training included the csuses of violence, guns as a risk factor, a danger assessment, the removal of firearms through the Protection Order in the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) and the removal of firearms through the Firearms Control Act (FCA).

Gun Destruction Picket 10 July 2008

GFSA, it's partners and activists held a gun destruction picket in Darling Street, Cape Town - in support to the SAPS and the SANDF for destroying guns in the past years. This year (2008) in June the SAPS destroyed more than 6000 firearms in Cape Town. About 100 GFSA Activists from across the Cape Peninsula and it's Partners signed a memorandum that asked the SAPS to step up it's efforts to remove more guns from communities and destroy them. The Memorandum was handed to the SAPS.

Arms Trade Treaty Lauch 13 June 2008

GFSA WC in partnership with IANSA launched the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Parliamentary Campaign at Outlook Hill Khayelitsha. GFSA's Fr. John and Mr. Madikiza UDM (Chief Whip) and AZAPO's Mzayiya (Provincial Chairperson) addressed the gathering in support of the campaign. 49 representatives from Harare, Manenburg, Phillipi East, Samora, Nyanga attended the event.

Quarterly Forum Meeting14 March 2008

About 33 GFSA activists attended the Forum meeting at Saartjie Baartman Women's Centre, Heideveld coming from Nyanga, Harare and Ocean View. They reported on their work and on the implementation of the information after the training. Certificates were handed to those who successfully completed the training on the Firearms Control Act.

Peace Vigil for a Peaceful Gun Free Christmas without violence 12 Dec 2007

Gun Free South Africa WC in partnership with, the Nyanga Community Police Forum and Khulisa held a Peace Vigil at Zolani Centre in Nyanga, to pray for a peaceful and gun violence free festive season. At the event people lit candles and were asked to take candles home as a symbol of their dedication to a peaceful and gun violence free festive season. 60 representatives from Nyanga, Gugulethu, Phillipi, and Harare attended.