Gunformation Forum

GOSA Press Releases :: 2010-07-20 : Minister of Police being economical with truth

Author: GOSA
Subject: 2010-07-20 : Minister of Police being economical with truth
Posted: Tue, 2010-07-20 14:15 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

The Minister of Police is being economical with the truth.

He claims to have an open door policy and claims to have invited honest consultation from the firearm fraternity. BGOASA is the third firearms organisation in less than 2 years to challenge the Minister and the FCA 60 of 2000 in the Courts. The basis of such challenges is always constitutional grounds.

Congratulations to BGOASA and those willing to defend the rights of those marginalised by government using draconian, immoral laws.

It appears that the Minister is in an uncomfortable position. He has initiated a process whereby the firearms fraternity, for the umpteenth time, must make submissions as to how the law can be improved. This is a waste of time and resources; moreover it is underhanded, seeing that the period to submit was limited to 10 working days during the world cup period.

This Act is indicative of the pursuit of an ideology whose effects can best be described as worse than the 1952 pass laws.

The law in its intent, implementation, administration and objectives is fundamentally flawed and immoral.

The first law of nature is self preservation. The right to life is clearly defined in the constitution. The most effective means to ensure such self preservation is a firearm. This is the only moral justification necessary. The concern though is that that right appears to be reserved for criminals.

Denying someone a firearm for legal use is defying the constitution and all natural law.

The minister needs to make up his mind. Is he implementing the FCA to remove illegal firearms or is the intent to disarm the public, as has been stated in public so many times in the past?

What government has failed to initiate, correct and implement in 10 years can not be fixed in 10 days or by an internal investigation.

GOSA again appeals to the Minister to review his situation and stance regarding this law. Do not try to patch that which was a failure from the outset. If the minister wants to make a concerted effort to correct this law and also to win back public confidence, he will order an independent forensic audit to determine what is wrong with the FCA, the CFR and the appeal board.

One can not constantly address symptoms if you do not know what the root cause of the cancer is.

Thomas F. Eastes
Exco Member
Gun Owners of South Africa (GOSA)
_________________
What have YOU done for YOUR rights today?

General - Algemeen :: RE: Submission Guidelines

Author: crimefree
Subject: BGOASA submission
Posted: Fri, 2010-07-09 23:07 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 2

Black Gun Owners Association of SA Submission to;

The Secretariat for Police,
7th Floor, van Erkorn Building 21
7 Pretorius Street
PRETORIA
Facsimile: (012) - 393 2538
e-mail: m <mailto> afologelam@saps.org.za

Dated 09/07.10 @ 22:00

BGOASA appreciates the opportunity given to make a contribution to the Firearms Control Act inquiry process. BGOASA would like to thank the Minister for such forward thinking and willingness to find solutions to the problems that have arisen with the FCA.

BGOASA has published much comment and research on the FCA and petitioned Safety and Security for information. As an organisation that has a majority of black members BGOASA is in a position to present the views of its members.

There is little doubt of the problems that have arisen with the FCA due entirely to bad drafting, planning, a lack of valid information and the resulting inability to implement the requirements of the FCA.

BGOASA would not like to see the same mistakes made again of trying to draft or change legislation in an uninformed atmosphere or deliberate rejection of all valid information. It is thus with the hope that such occurrence of blindly following the advice of organisations and individuals with no other agenda than to mislead the process so that their objectives are gained will be avoided.

BGOASA would like to point out that there is little hope of changing a non-functional system that has only an unproven value to the SAPS, thus the restrictions on citizens and impact on their safety has not been justified.

More importantly BGOASA would not like to partake in a process that may endanger the public, cost lives and cause suffering and loss of property without first ensuring that only sound and impartially presented facts based on accredited research and experience are used in making any recommendations.

It is quite obvious that restrictions on the rights of citizens cannot be imposed if there is none or little valid justification. It is of paramount importance to the Firearms Control Act and citizens of South Africa that justification of rights restrictions be shown to be valid.

That the impact on crime and safety of citizens is well documented and not in any doubt as well at the impact and cost of any measures proposed. Where doubt exists any proposal must favour the safety of citizens and not be implemented until the doubt is removed.

Legislation of this nature, which has the potential to cost lives, cannot just be implemented because it sounds like a good idea or is based on popular beliefs instilled by radical organisations that have other agendas.

BGOASA has every confidence the Minister will act in the best interests of citizens and remove all doubts and show the justification of any sections of the Firearms Control Act.

In Common Cause,

BGOASA Advisory Board (BAB)
P.P. Abios Khoele: National Chairman; Black Gun Owners Association

www.bgoasa.co.za
Office: 011 972 0010
Cell: 083 318 9417
Admin: 074 125 6938
_________________
"Two memorials remain today at Thermoplylae. Upon the modern one is engraved his response to Xerxes' demand that the Spartans lay down their arms. Leonidas' reply was two words, Molon Labe. 'Come and get them'."

General - Algemeen :: RE: Submission Guidelines

Author: crimefree
Posted: Thu, 2010-07-08 09:43 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 2

If you are not happy with the FCA then now is the opportunity to have your say. The Minister has requested help with the inquiry and investigation process. Ignore this request at your own peril because when give the opportunity and you do not use it the only message you send is I agree with the FCA and anything you do.

Do not say I did not know what to do or say because that is not true there is help and guide lines you can use. The choice is yours accept the FCA or help the minister find and define the problems so they can be examined..
_________________
"Two memorials remain today at Thermoplylae. Upon the modern one is engraved his response to Xerxes' demand that the Spartans lay down their arms. Leonidas' reply was two words, Molon Labe. 'Come and get them'."

General - Algemeen :: Submission Guidelines

Author: crimefree
Subject: Submission Guidelines
Posted: Tue, 2010-07-06 11:06 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 2

Crimefree This submission request is OPEN TO ALL. See the SAGA notice. 3rd post
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=370373577109&v=app_2373072738#!/topic.php?uid=370373577109&topic=15032

See the discussions and read the enquiry form It is vital you understand what is being asked for.

Submission Guidelines

The is no fixed format for a submission
Contact details are essential
Qualifications to comment may be included
Keep it short and to the point.
Read and understand the request
Follow a logical process
Refer to the section of the request you are commenting on
Offer any assistance if you can help with the inquirry. You can be sure others you may not like will.

The requests is :- Help in making an assessment of the FCA and is not a request to FIX it unless you know how and what the result will be.

[I have doubt if any suggestion can be based on a total lack of information. Do not try to fix the FCA unless you can show how it will work, how much it will cost, how much manpower will be needed and the return value. You cannot add to the workload nor subtract from the workload if you have no idea of what the result will be or if what you
propose will be sufficient to make any difference. If you don't know then is it not essential to know this first?]

Practice and the courts have shown
-----------------------------------------
* Inability to process in a timely manner as required by legislation.
* An arbitrary and capricious adjudication process that is not subject to disclosure or review.
* Abuse of the powers given to the SAPS.
* Non transparent
* A lack of advertising and education as required by the Act.
* An unwillingness by the SAPS to implement sections of the Act
* A disregard of the constitution by the SAPS.

The obvious consequences of excessive workload are:
------------------------------------------------------------
* High cost
* Excessive manpower
* Misused or wasted resources
* Redirection of all these away from crime fighting
* Increased crime and increased public service costs
* Lower arrest and conviction rates
* Less public safety

The obvious questions that need answers are:
---------------------------------------------------
* What is the budget in terms of money, manpower and resources
* What is the expected return value to the duty of the SAPS and crime fighting
* What is the current cost
* What is the current allocation of manpower
* What is the current allocation of resources
* What is the current return value
* What is the expected impact on crime
* What is the current impact on crime
* How and from what information are any of these calculated or estimated

Any intervention that is required by the Act must be examined because of the "potential" to cost lives, increase crime and decrease public safety. If it has no return value, costs are to high or requires excessive manpower or resources then there is little to recommend it. The Act must also be fit for the purpose it was intended.

What is the usefulness to remove guns, reduce crime or improve public safety. Costs, manpower and resource requirements, return value.

****** sections of the request to pay attention to.
[...] comments

********************************************************************
ENQUIRY INTO THE FUNCTIONING OF THE CENTRAL FIREARMS REGISTRY IN THE
SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE. REQUEST FOR SUBMISSIONS

The project will be covering the following areas-
i. The identification of gaps and weaknesses in the Legislation with
particular emphasis on Regulations.

[What is needed to be able to examine the gaps and weaknesses of the Act
and regulations?]

ii. An assessment of the different processes and mechanisms or systems
that have, or have not, been put in place in the Central Firearms
Registry to ensure the smooth and efficient implementation of the Act.

[What is needed to evaluate the success or failure of the processes,
mechanism and systems put in place by CFR?]

iii. An assessment and evaluation of the administrative and capacity
problems of or in the Central Firearms Registry that negatively affect
the timeous and proper processing of firearm licence applications and
matters related thereto, as well as the management of the database of
properly licensed firearms. This exercise will include an assessment of
the Firearms Appeal Board.

[What is needed to evaluate the administrative capacity and problems of
the CFR, the database and appeal board such that CFR can process
applications and other matters within a reasonable time and manner as
definded by other legislation?]

b. The identification of issues or interventions emanating from the legal
obligations and the implementation of the Act and Regulations that would
require the urgent attention of the Minister of Police and / or the
National Commissioner.

[What will the legal issues be that arise from any failure of the Act]

You are hereby invited to make written submissions on the areas referred
to above.

Your submissions must be directed to my office marked for the attention
of Mr M Mafologela and must reach my office by the 30 June 2010.

The submissions may be delivered in any of the following ways - Hand-
delivery:

The Secretariat for Police,
7th Floor, van Erkorn Building 21
7 Pretorius Street
PRETORIA
Facsimile: (01 2) - 393 2538
e-mail: rnafoloaelam@saps.org.za

In making your submissions, kindly ensure that you clearly and succinctly
indicate the area or issue that, in your view, you find problematic and
which needs to be addressed, together with a succinct and clear
recommendation on how you feel that the issue or area should be
addressed.
**********************************************************************

===================================================================

Here is an example that has reference to submission request section iii

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=122570224447117&topic=158

Name
Address

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission.

There is absolutely no doubt that the safety of citizens is of paramount importance to the SAPS and this aspect cannot be subject to conjecture, beliefs and ideological agendas.

The consequences of making a mistake are far to high to rely on bogus research or unqualified unlinked assumptions of cause and effect.

Interventions of this nature need to be examined for the ability to achieve objectives without endangering the pubic in any way. They need to have a quantified return value to the core duty of the SAPS and must not distract from the normal function of the SAPS in investigating crime and ensuring punishment.

Section i
.............

Section ii
.............

Section iii
===========

It is common cause that the registration process is flawed and non-functional in any way to serve the needs of applicants. That these delays and faulty adjudications are unacceptable and counter to legislative requirements. The courts and media have adversely commented on this administrative practice.

The administrative capability of the SAPS and allocation of resources is unknown. Nor is the impact on normal functions and duties of the SAPS known. The return value in terms of a reduction of crime, the supply of guns to criminals and impact on public safety is unknown. The costs and budget have not been disclosed.

The suitable training and knowledge requirements of the SAPS staff are not tested by any recognised standard. There is no control of who or what expertise may be assigned to such tasks.

The use of the database to serve the needs of the SAPS has not been disclosed. Experience of all countries shows little or any return value of such a database. The value of the current and previous database and costs have not been disclosed nor has the return value been disclosed.

Conclusion
The capability needed, manpower, budgetary and return values are unknown or undisclosed by the SAPS in order to create a functioning system that is justified, affordable and serves the purpose of police duty or the Act.

Section b
.........

Summary
There is considerable qualified research and experience from around the world including South Africa that shows that the objectives of the Act are unlikely to be met by any intervention proposed by the Act.

The SAPS have not provided any proof or evidence that any intervention of the Firearms Control Act can achieve the objectives of the Act or needs of the SAPS.

Conclusion or recommendation
Without disclosure of the budget and an accurate assessment of the manpower, resources and cost requirements with proof of a return value in terms of the SAPS duty as defined in the constitution, it is impossible to design, modify or tinker with a non-functioning system. It is common sense that the SAPS should not waste valuable time on frivolous and
fruitless interventions.
_________________
"Two memorials remain today at Thermoplylae. Upon the modern one is engraved his response to Xerxes' demand that the Spartans lay down their arms. Leonidas' reply was two words, Molon Labe. 'Come and get them'."

GOSA Press Releases :: 2010-07-05: Inquiry into Central Firearm Registry

Author: GOSA
Subject: 2010-07-05: Inquiry into Central Firearm Registry
Posted: Mon, 2010-07-05 14:36 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

Gun Owners of South Africa (GOSA) Press Release: 2010-07-05 : Inquiry into functioning of Central Firearm Registry.

Gun Owners of South Africa have been invited to make submissions to an inquiry into the functioning of the South African Police Service's Central Firearms Registry.

The Minister of Police, Mr E.N. Mthethwa MP has requested the Civilian Secretariat for Police to assess the implementation of the Firearms Control Act, 2000.

True to the understanding of the SAPS of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act of 2000 the invitation was sent out 25 June with the deadline being 30 June 2010.

Canadian Long-gun Registry an expensive failure

According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation the Canadian long-gun registry, touted in 1995 to cost $85 million to operate, is now up to an estimated $2 billion and counting.

The Canadian registry is the blue-print for South Africa's Firearms Control Act.

Canada's Auditor General Sheila Fraser tried to keep her eye on the purse strings.

Fraser audited the Canadian long gun registry in 2002 and reviewed her audit in 2006. When the gun registry was first introduced in 1995, the Canadian government promised it would cost approximately $2 million to taxpayers to implement over five years. In her 2002 audit, however, the Auditor General of Canada reported that the program's costs had skyrocketed to more than $600 million and moreover, due to a lack of solid financial information, that is, the government was hiding costs, she believed this figure did not fairly represent the true costs of the program.

On November 4th, Canadian MPs voted 164 to 137 across party lines to bring the wasteful long-gun registry to an end.

Firearms Control Act of 2000 unconstitutional

It is a year since the Pretoria High Court stayed prosecution of gunowners who refused to comply with the unconstitutional Firearms Control Act. Before that, gunowners had faced a massive intimidation campaign that included threats via the media of 15 years imprisonment of gunowners who did not renew gun licences.

The most salient points in the Judgement in the case of the SAHunters and Game Conservation Association vs The Minister of Safety & Security are that:

- There is a strong prima facie case that the Firearms Control Act may be unreasonable and unconstitutional
- There are massive problems implementing the Act
- The SAPS does not have the capacity to process thousands of applications
- The SAPS' failure to deal with applications within a reasonable time is unconstitutional
- It is glaringly obvious that the SAPD doesn't have the means to deal with the burden placed on it
- The SAPS did not deny they are guilty of unlawful administrative action.
- Prospects that the SAHGCA will be successful in the main application are good
- The SAPS could offer no evidence that legal firearms are a problem or are used in violent crime
- Gun owners' rights far outweigh any inconvenience for the SAPS

Chaos at Central Firearm Registry

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa's Department has had a year's respite to sort out the chaotic implementation of the Firearms Control Act. Indeed, one would have expected feedback by now that the maladministration of the Firearms Register has been rectified and the 5-year renewal backlogs wiped out

Sadly, that has not been the case.

One would have expected regular updates, departing from a forensic audit, of the Billion-Rand Black Hole FCA, from our own Auditor General. When the implementation of the Canadian blueprint for the FCA started spelling disaster their Auditor General did her duty.

According to S181 of our Constitution the Auditor-General must be impartial and must exercise its powers and perform its functions without fear, favour or prejudice. The Constitution further requires the Auditor-General to audit and report on the accounts, financial statements and financial management of all national and provincial state departments and administrations...

What about the administration of gun licences?

The FCA was enacted in 2000. Implementation started in 2004. Not one cent in compensation has been paid for surrendered firearms. The second round of gun license renewals should have started, again, by now.

External Audit Required

Given the unfortunate predicament we now find ourselves in GOSA is of the opinion that an internal inquiry or task team approach would not be sufficient to instill lost confidence in the spectacular failure in implementation of the Firearms Control Act.

Were this issue to be faced by any other department or organ of State, the correct approach would be to appoint an outside body which is above reproach to conduct a detailed forensic audit of the Act and the implementation thereof.

Minister Mthethwa, the country needs to know how much this Act has cost them.

Just how much has been diverted away from effective policing to fund the spectacular failure in implementation of the Firearms Control Act?

Brett Nortje
Exco Member
Gun Owners of South Africa
_________________
What have YOU done for YOUR rights today?

General - Algemeen :: SAHGCA & SAPS Court Case update

Author: kologha
Subject: SAHGCA & SAPS Court Case update
Posted: Sat, 2010-07-03 20:06 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

Latest info wrt SAHGCA and SAPS court case
CURRENT STATUS: SA HUNTERS AND GAME CONSERVASTION ASSOCIATION AND THE FIRE ARMS ACT � ACT 60 OF 2000

The controversy surrounding the Fire Arms act since its implementation developed gradually amongst the fire arm owners mainly due to the day to day practical problems fire arm owners and prospective owners experienced when fire arms were purchased and licenses had to be issued. The controversy turned into conflict with low intensity and eventually evolved to a point where SAHGCA took the matter to court in an attempt to protect members [and all other legal fire arm owners] against the onslaught from the Central Fire Arms Register. These events had a dramatic effect on hunters and sport shooters hence the initiative taken by SAHGCA on this matter. The situation on the court case has now reached a stage where it is necessary to inform members what the status is. Covering the process as it is relevant to the court case, the main events are described in phases.

First phase
As the conflict between the fire arm owners and the applicators of the law, the Central Fire Arm Register [CFR] grew, SAHGCA started to consider the options and what was needed to handle the interests of its members. As part of the hunters� fraternity the Association shared a common platform with other Associations in the Hunters� Forum. In spite of this sharing, for the most part, no common approach existed amongst the various role players as to how the situation should be dealt with relative to the CFR. SAHGCA for its part, spent many hours making suggestions, proposals and offered solutions to the CFR in an attempt to improve the situation but with no avail.

The deadline for the final implementation of the act namely the last day for the transitional arrangements to be intact namely June 30, 2009 was nearing and a continued deterioration of the administration of license applications, made SAHGCA to decided the only way to protect the interests of its members and coincidently all the fire arm owners in South Africa, was to revert to legal action. This action was decided upon in spite of very limited support from other hunting associations with exception of PHASA.

The submission to the court was based on the criminalization of legal fire arm owners to whom the SAPS most likely would be unable to issue new licenses on June 30, 2009 secondly, the question of ownership and lastly, the administrative disorder that prevailed with the processing and issuing of fire arm licenses. The case was heard in front of the high court with the Minister of Police as the Defendant and on 24 June 2009 the court ruled in favour of SAHGCA with an interim order that fire arm licenses issued under previous legislation will remain valid pending a final hearing on March 29, 2010. This brought to a halt a period of major uncertainty and was to the benefit of every legal fire arm owner in South Africa whose legal ownership was threatened by the implementation of the Fire Arms Act, act 60 of 2000. This legal help provided by the court after SAHGCA took the initiative to litigate, was not only a helping hand for the members of the Association but all legal fire arm owners in the country. This brought to an end what can be termed as the first phase of this saga.

Second phase
During February 2010 SAHGCA was approached by the legal representative of the Minister of Police requesting discussions around the pending final hearing of the court case on March 29, 2010. SAHGCA agreed to a discussion. The parties assigned the task to the legal teams to identify what is required to be done to legislation, regulations and other administrative directives to embed the rights acquired through the interim court order. This should ensure the removal of criminalization, ownership deprival and administrative disorder. The condition was for the legal teams to report back to the two parties to agree on what had been identified and for SAHGCA not to lose its rights to be able to continue with the court case at any stage.
Towards the end of March 2010 the legal teams were able to find a solution for the criminalization but could not agree on how to deal with ownership issues and administrative disorder. This resulted in a deadlock as the legal team of the SAPS stated categorically that the administrative issues cannot be included as part of the discussions.

During this period the SAHGCA Executive Committee agreed to the postponement of the final hearing scheduled for 29 March 2010, to a later date. On this day the Executive Committee met with the SAHGCA legal team for a comprehensive report back. The crucial point that faced the EC at this stage was to decide whether the discussions should be cancelled and to proceed with the court case.
The two options were deliberated at length carefully considering the possible consequences. On the one hand it appeared to be best to proceed with the court case because the process can be anticipated and apart from the final decision by the court, it seemed more predictable. The option to continue with the negotiations was deemed to be more uncertain and based on the experience, not much had been achieved by talking with the SAPS. The Executive Committee evaluated the options based on what a positive court decision could bring for SAHGCA members and how long it would take to reach a final conclusion versus finding a solution through negotiations and thereby achieve a better overall dispensation by contributing the knowledge and experience of the hunting and sport shooting fraternity towards a solution.

At the end of March 2010, the Executive Committee decided to end the negotiations between the legal teams and instead to proceed with negotiations with the Secretariat of Police on the matter of administrative disorder and ownership issues. A basic understanding was reached between the parties about the standpoint held by SAHGCA and it was agreed to proceed with further discussions to find a way out of the deadlock. With this event phase two was ended.

Phase three
This phase was characterised by a shift of the negotiations to be between SAHGCA and the Secretariat of Police. Several meetings and discussions were held and eventually it was clear and accepted that not only was the administrative disorder fundamental to any solution and agreement, a number of other factors preventing the proper functioning of the licensing process such as the renewal of Competency Certificates should be attended as a matter of urgency. SAHGCA then proceeded to prepare a document covering the aspects reflecting the weaknesses in the process and the legislation which need to be dealt with to establish a situation that will offer workable licensing of fire arms for hunting and sport shooting.

The acceptance of the document by the Secretariat of Police as the basis whereby further work on the matter should be done was a significant moment and major break trough in the process of negotiation and an achievement on behalf of all legal fire arm owners in South Africa. The principles contained therein dealt with everything that frustrated fire arm owners and specifically hunters and sport shooters on licensing matters. Furthermore, it was accepted that the licensing process of fire arms had deteriorated to a stage where it was dysfunctional.

From this document followed the next step whereby the Minister of Police decided to appoint a task team consisting of individuals to investigate the total process of fire arm licensing, the omissions in the legislation and its application. The appointment of the members of the task team will be the prerogative of the Minister but will be experienced and skilled individuals able to effectively investigate the issues and to present its finding by the end of July 2010. The terms of reference of the task team to which SAHGCA made a significant contribution stipulates that the end result will not only present solutions but when and how these will be implemented. The terms of reference is not an itemised list of what should be dealt with but instead stipulates the areas that will be covered namely legislative, process, administrative and urgent issues.

It would appear that the Minister of Police decided on the necessity to attend to this matter because the issue was discussed at a ministerial Lekgotla and because of the influence of SAHGCA as a result of our continued negotiations and submissions to the Secretariat of Police.

It is obvious that this assignment by the task team will deal with a wide range of matters but will also provide solutions to the status of current license holders whose rights had been re-instated by the interim court order of June 24, 2009. The court order stipulates that licences granted under previous legislation will remain valid pending the final hearing scheduled for March 29, 2010. This court hearing was postponed and unless it is re-instated, it will also be a matter to be dealt with by the task team. In other words, holders of �Green Licenses� now deemed to be valid, be replaced with new licenses to be issued on a basis still to be defined.

The Minister of Police announced the task team on June 25, 2010 a day and a year after the interim court order was granted.
The task team is:
i. Me Jenni Irish-Qobosheane (Chair) � Chief Executive Officer Civilian Secretariat for Police, ii. Mr Amichand Soman � Director Legal Services, Civilian Secretariat for Police; iii. Mr Mlungisi Menziwa � Director Policy and Research, Civilian Secretariat for Police; iv. Mr Sam Mahote � Parliamentary liaison � Civil Secretariat for Police v. Mr Mothupi Mafologela - Civilian Secretariat for Police; vi. Me Anneliz� van Wyk, MP, - member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police vii. Mr Billy Graham � Business Against Crime, and; viii. Dr Herman Els � former chairman Hunters-SAPS Consultative Forum.

With the appointment of the task team and the commencement of their duties, the process has reached the end of phase three. SAHGCA is pleased to announce that this is as a result of the relentless and diligent efforts of the Association since the approach made by the SAPS during February 2010. The current position was not reached easily. Patience was required when the difficulties and often animosity towards legal fire arm owners arose during the Fire Arm Amnesty and the frustration of SAHGCA members who saw no progress with their applications on the one side and the requirement to remain rational in the decision making process on the other side. Statements about a �Gun Free� South Africa placed strain on the process on more than one occasion. SAHGCA also wish to express our thanks and appreciation towards PHASA for their support with the court case and the negotiations.

The saga is not over and the Association is eagerly awaiting the successful conclusion of the next phase. SAHGCA will remain diligent and guard over the process to ensure an outcome that will result in the removal of the difficulties that existed and the establishment of a dispensation that will provide for sensible and orderly fire arm licensing for its members and all hunters and sports shooters in SA.
In conclusion it need to be stated that without the rational and understanding attitude but professional approach by Me Jenni Irish � Qhobosheane the Secretary of Police, during this time, this position would not have been possible.

SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association Inyathi Park June 28, 2010

The (Sunday) Times :: 2003-03-16: Minister and police chief at odds

Author: GOSA
Subject: 2003-03-16: Minister and police chief at odds
Posted: Fri, 2010-07-02 16:19 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

Sunday Times 16/3/2003

Minister and police chief at odds over school shooting
SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER

POLICE Commissioner Jackie Selebi's plan to confiscate old
army rifles from schools will destroy the sport of target
shooting, warns one of South Africa's top young shots.

"He will destroy a good sport if he revokes the guns and will
cause an imbalance in many young people's lives," said Junior
Springbok shooter Sydney Msimanga, a Grade 9 pupil at
Middelburg High in Mpumalanga.

Selebi said this week he would not allow guns at schools -
bringing him into conflict with Education Minister Kader Asmal,
who proposes to make the sport more inclusive by introducing it
to disadvantaged schools.

Director-General of Education Thami Mseleku said: "What we
wanted to do was ensure that all children were given the
opportunity to participate if they so desired, It must be made
clear that we are not supplying schools with an extra stock of
guns.

"More than 200 schools in the country were given .22 rifles by
the old South African Defence Force during the apartheid era.
The issue was whether the new South African National Defence
Force takes back the guns or leave them at the schools."

The Education Department could not approve of a sport which was
"exclusive to white schools", he said.

Selebi's spokesman, Senior Superintendent Selby Bokaba, said
they planned to remove guns from affected schools and destroy
them before Asmal's proposal was put on the table.

"One of our priorities is to curb the proliferation of guns in
the country."

The SAPS wants to create gun-free zones at schools," he said.
"This is not a slinging match between departments, it's just
that we are an important stake-holder and were not consulted on
the proposal," Bokaba said.

While the sport may not result in the killing of police
officers, it may lead to an escalation of violence at schools
involving the use of firearms, he warned.

"There have been incidences at schools in which children brought
guns to schools and killed or injured their fellow pupils."

The outcry has prompted Asmal and senior education officials to
arrange a meeting with Selebi and Safety and Security Minister
Charles Nqakula in Pretoria tomorrow to discuss the proposal.

Nqakula's spokesman, Les Xinwa, said the minister reserved
comment on the issue until after the meeting.

Asmal's special adviser, Allan Taylor, said the sport had
existed at about 266 historically white schools for many years.

"The ministry is adamant that if it is to continue being
recognised as a school sport, it must conform to the applicable
sporting codes of conduct and the principles of non-racialism."

Taylor stressed that all target-shooting rifles being used at
schools were properly stored and "that no unauthorised use has
been reported nor have any injuries resulted, as has occurred
with other sports like rugby".

Instead, Msimanga argued, target shooting was beneficial and
had empowered him with self-confidence.

"Some young shooters, like myself, have dreams of eventually
making it to the Olympics, perhaps even making a career out of
target shooting," he said.

"I love it. I can't imagine life without it and many other young
shooters share my feelings.

"Contrary to many people's perception, target shooting is an
extremely safe sport and the discipline is excellent.

"Although you do shoot a target, it's not a violent sport."

Jaco Henn, a target shooter who represented South Africa in the
last Olympic Games, has also thrown his weight behind Asmal's
proposal.

"It will teach children to respect a weapon and use it
responsibly," he said.

"The advantages of teaching the sport far outweigh the
disadvantages." Sakkie Boschoff, shooting coach at Standerton
High School in Mpumalanga, said "it would be a great pity if
guns were confiscated just when the sport was being slowly
transformed".

A great emphasis is put on safety, said Leon du Preez, chairman
of the Mpumalanga Shooting Club. "If the shooters don't comply
with the rules, they can be banned for life. We are shooting
dots here, not people. We have just started teaching
disadvantaged children the art of shooting and they are loving
every moment.

"There has only been one incident that I know of, which occurred
about 10 years ago, when a youngster forgot to put the safety
catch on a gun and it went off, striking a girl in the leg.
"The girl died a few hours later due to loss of blood."

Maggie Keegan, national advocacy manager of Gun Free South
Africa, said the anti-gun lobby was opposed to the introduction
of target shooting at all public schools and not only
disadvantaged schools.
_________________
What have YOU done for YOUR rights today?

Licencing and re-licencing :: High Court rules

Author: 2TS
Subject: High Court rules
Posted: Mon, 2010-06-21 14:43 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

I heard on radio last week Tuesday that there was a ruling in the North Gauteng High Court that all firearm apps must be processed within 30 days.

Does anyone have any more info? Cant find any press realeases etc.

From all over :: Thoughtleader: Gun control — clutching at straws

Author: GOSA
Subject: Thoughtleader: Gun control &#8212; clutching at straws
Posted: Mon, 2010-06-14 09:30 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/gavinfoster/2010/06/03/6192/

Gun control — clutching at straws
Gavin Foster

As I labour away at my keyboard I can hear excited Englishmen on Sky News babbling on in the background about a much-needed revamp of British gun laws. Good! If the law is changed so as to make guns more accessible to the ordinary Englishman the authorities could in future warn him about the eruptions of people like that loony Derrick Bird, so he could arm himself in preparation of his arrival. The way things were this week, though, all they could do was tell everybody to lock themselves indoors until the coast was clear. That’s fine if you’re lucky enough to hear the warnings, but not so good if you unexpectedly find yourself face to face with a shotgun-wielding nutter who finds himself with fewer targets to choose from than he expected. I suspect, though, that the much-debated changes will be aimed at removing the very few options that Englishmen still have in terms of personal choice.

After the 1987 Hungerford massacre and the Dunblane killings nine years later, the British government reacted in typically nanny-state fashion by introducing increasingly stricter restrictions on private ownership of handguns and rifles. By 1999 civilian ownership of firearms other than shotguns was virtually impossible in the UK — things are now so bad that the nation’s Olympic shooting team now travels to more gun-friendly European states (of which there are plenty) to practice their sport. Bizarrely, with the Olympics taking place in London in 2012, the British government has very graciously granted a special dispensation allowing the various Olympic shooting disciplines the right to hold competitions in their country during the Games, but their own national team has to train in Switzerland until then. Theirs is also the only Olympics sport that receives no funding from the government, because of the pariah state of the shooting sports.

But did all the knee-jerk legislating really work? Interestingly, only in 2008 did the incidence of gun-related deaths in the UK drop below that of 1988, and last year The Telegraph reported that gun crime has doubled over the past 10 years, with increases in both firearms offences and firearm-related deaths last year. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling attributed the increase largely to “an out-of-control gang culture” but the rise in so called “gun crime” can be partly attributed to the fact that numerous petty offences involving toy guns, air rifles and paintball guns are now classified as gun crimes in paranoid Britain.

The House of Commons Parliamentary Report on Homicide tabled in May 1999 reflects homicide rates in England and Wales throughout the second half of the 20th century. From 1946 to 1970, when guns were much more freely available in the UK than they were in the 80s, meaning robbers and muggers had to pick their targets wisely, somewhere between 7 and 9 people were murdered every year per million of the population. By 1988 this had risen to 12 or 13 people murdered per million, at a time when gun ownership was being severely curtailed. The Hungerford Massacre (1987) and Dunblane shootings (1996) that led to the current almost totally gun-free state of the UK didn’t help much, with today’s homicide rate being slightly above 14.1 per million. So much for that, then. Today’s UK citizen is almost twice as likely to be knocked off in the new gun-free state than his father or grandfather was in earlier days, when gun ownership was not such a big issue legally and plenty of people had ‘em. In the US on the other hand, more relaxed restrictions on the carrying of concealed firearms by licensed owners has led to sharp declines in violent crime in areas where this occurred.

Back in 1982 Kennesaw, a small town in Georgia, US, passed legislation requiring the head of every household to own a handgun. The Kennesaw Ordinance was a rather tongue-in-cheek response to another town, Morton Grove’s total ban on handguns, and the legislators left enough loopholes to ensure that anybody who was opposed to handgun ownership was exempt. The majority of the people in Kennesaw loved the new law, though, and stocked up with weapons that the local police force taught them to use properly and safely. In the next ten years the town had just one murder, and that was with a knife. I phoned the Kennesaw chief of police’s office in about 1998 to see if things were still going well and was told, “Well, this sure is a good place to live!” In January this year the media reported a Kennesaw shooting that killed two and wounded three, which really got the anti-gun lobby hopping with excitement, until it was pointed out that the killing took place near, not in Kennesaw. Visit this site or here for more on the Kennesaw ordinance.

In 1974 terrorists in Israel took 100 children hostage at a school in Maalot, and 25 people were killed and 66 wounded in the rescue attempt. The anti-gun lobby stridently demanded that gun ownership be totally banned for all but government forces in Israel, but the state decided to do the opposite and make weapons more available to decent, law-abiding citizens. Military reservists were issued personal weapons to take home and civilians with clean records were given permits for concealed carry of handguns. Teachers started carrying pistols and children were, at the age of 15, given shooting lessons. The Maalot disaster has not since then been repeated in Israel, while in cases elsewhere, when nutters run amok shooting kids, the action invariably takes place in schools and the other “gun-free zones” that some misguided souls fondly believe will be honoured as such by the murdering scum who do these things. These people are the same ones who were horrified when, after one mass killing, Prince Phillip wondered whether the game of cricket would be banned should the next psychopath use a cricket bat rather than a gun to achieve his aims. I think that’s a pretty fair question …

The United Kingdom has the most oppressive gun laws in Europe, yet places like Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland all have lower murder rates than our Pommie cousins. In Switzerland, every man between the ages of 20 and 30 (33 for officers) is by law compelled to be a part of the military reserve and obliged to keep his assault rifle or service pistol with 50 rounds of ammunition at his home. Once they complete their service older men can either hand their weapons back to the state, or have them converted from fully automatic to semi-auto by the military armourers, after which they’re returned to the ex-servicemen for personal use. Shooting practice is encouraged, and the state subsidises the cost of ammunition to members of the public. Interestingly, the British murder rate is 50% higher per capita than that of the Swiss.

There’s a remarkably strident bunch of anti-gunners out there who really believe that if they disarm the innocent, the villains will start behaving. The most vociferous group in our country is a secretive organisation called Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) that refuses to answer any questions regarding its funding or reveal how many paid-up members it really has; this obviously casts doubt over how much support the organisation actually has among ordinary South Africans. There are a couple of other questions I’d also like GFSA to answer before I can take them seriously. Firstly, do they have intruder alarm systems at their offices, workplaces or at homes? If so have they stipulated that the guards sent out when the trouble starts should be armed only with truncheons or cans of pepper spray?

Secondly, have they considered the fact that when the dog barks in the middle of the night, the only reason the villains who bring about the yapping scarper by the time the lights come on is that they’re very, very aware that the people inside the building could well be armed?
_________________
What have YOU done for YOUR rights today?

From IOL :: 2010-06-02: Cops 'lose over 5 300 guns'

Author: GOSA
Subject: 2010-06-02: Cops 'lose over 5 300 guns'
Posted: Mon, 2010-06-14 09:26 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?fsetid=1&click_id=15&art_id=nw20100602121331236C821291

Cops 'lose over 5 300 guns'
June 02 2010 at 12:26PM

More than 5 300 firearms have been lost or stolen from police stations and offices around the country over the past two years.

According to a written reply by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to a parliamentary question, just over a tenth of these have been recovered.

The minister said he had asked the Civilian Secretariat for Police to investigate the losses.

A table included in the reply shows 2 603 firearms were lost or stolen in the past financial year (2009/10), and 2 759 the year before.

A total of 457 of the firearms that disappeared over the two-year period went missing from SAPS head office in Pretoria.

A breakdown of the missing firearms by province shows the number of firearms lost or stolen in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga soared over the past year.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the figure leapt from 353 in 2008/09, to 840 last year (2009/10), an increase of about 238 percent. In Mpumalanga, police last year managed to lose or have stolen more than three times the number of firearms than the year before (364 compared to 120).

The Eastern Cape showed an improvement. Police in the province lost or had stolen 1095 firearms in 2008/09. Last year, a total of 613 went missing.

Mthethwa said in his reply that 290 firearms were recovered during 2008/09, and a further 275 last year (2009/10).

Action had been taken against 56 police officers, of whom 33 had been found guilty in disciplinary inquiries.

"As minister of police, I have repeatedly stated that we are serious about ensuring that the SAPS takes greater responsibility for the loss of firearms by [its] members.

"To this end, I have asked the Civilian Secretariat for Police to look into the matter.

"The department will be putting in place a number of processes to ensure police officers are held responsible for such loss of weapons," he said. - Sapa
_________________
What have YOU done for YOUR rights today?

News24 :: 2010-04-20: Cops or thugs?

Author: GOSA
Subject: 2010-04-20: Cops or thugs?
Posted: Mon, 2010-06-14 09:25 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

http://www.news24.com/Columnists/Khaya-Dlanga/Cops-or-thugs-20100420

Cops or thugs?
2010-04-20 10:42

“Fuck the Police”. In the early years of gangster rap this NWA track was the anthem of angry black youths in the United States of America. It was specifically directed at racist cops whose sole existence seemed to be the ability to terrorise them into fear of the cops. But the anger wasn’t just targeted at white cops, it was aimed at all cops.

If the South African police aren’t careful, they will soon hear “Fuck the Police” because of the way they treat innocent citizens.

I work in the advertising industry. A few years ago I wanted to start an advertising campaign that would directly counteract the negative attitudes people have towards the cops. I wanted to call it the “Love The Police” campaign. I felt that they weren’t respected as much as they ought to be. The public had no appreciation for the work they do. My idealistic mission was simple: if we show them that we respect them and appreciate the work they do for us, they would treat us law-abiding citizens better.

I am tired of hearing people say they are sick of cops. This past weekend, cops stopped friends of mine -who had not been drinking - around 01:00 outside the Morningside police station. The police wanted to conduct a breathalyser test on the driver. Unfortunately many cops seem more interested in conducting these just so that they can solicit a bribe. Even more unfortunate is the number of people who will not hesitate to pay one. In fact most people know that if they pay a cop a bribe they can still drive home, drunk.

Intimidation

Back to the story about my friends: The cops had no breathalysers left at the Morningside police station. They started to intimidate my friend who had been driving and told him that he had to drive with them to town so that they could test him there.

I am not very familiar with the law, but I don’t think cops are supposed to do that. My other friend, a woman, who was a passenger called me and told me that the cops wanted to take my driver friend to a police station in town where a test would be conducted. I suggested that she tell them they would wait at the police station instead while the cops drove to town to get breathalysers as it was not their fault that they didn’t have the necessary equipment.

What they got was a verbal eruption that would have rivalled Mr Visagie and Malema’s Eyjafjallaj�kull-like eruptions last week. They were intimidated to a point where one of the cops said to my female friend that she must not think that he would hesitate to hit her just because she is a woman.

I had a very similar encounter with a friend of mine just two months ago, outside the very same police station. My friend said something to one of the cops who stopped us that made us think we were going to get a beating. My friend said to them, “Why are you hiding here next to the police station? Why aren’t you out there fighting real crime and arresting real criminals?” What happened after is a long story I don’t want to get into. I couldn’t help but agree with my friend at the time.

I like the tough talking police commissioner Bheki Cele, including the minister and deputy minister of police. They seem to mean business. Some even say that the commissioner is the kind of guy who looks like criminals would be scared of. Unfortunately what the commissioner doesn't know is that a lot of innocent people feel victimised by the cops. Instead of feeling safe around them they feel unsafe.

The department of police should go on an education drive that teaches citizens their rights upon being stopped by the police. We don’t know what our rights are. My guess is as good as anyone else’s. The more we know our rights, the more we are protected and the more the cops themselves are protected. When they stop you, you never know if they’re going to treat you like a criminal or not. This is a crime.

Living in fear

Those of us who live within the law are beginning to live in fear of those who are meant to serve and protect us. This is not right. This is not just. This is not a police state. This is a free country and our police need to treat us as free men. Sometimes when we are out there we just wonder who it is that can protect us from those that are supposed to protect us. They seem to treat everyone as if they were criminals.

Of course this is not to say all cops are this way. To blame the police alone for accepting bribes would be unfair of me. We as a society are guilty of continuing to enable this kind of behaviour.

I understand the pressures that they are under. They deal with life and death situations every day. They get paid peanuts. But it does not excuse the way some of them treat innocent members of the public. It’s hard to respect a cop that acts like a thug.

There is no denying that we need them. We cannot disrespect them and call them names, but they ought to remember that respect is a two-way street. In all fairness those of us who are innocent should “Love the Police” and not fear them. We want to respect them, but they must help us along. I don’t want South Africans getting to a point where they start saying “Fuck the Police”.
_________________
What have YOU done for YOUR rights today?

Die Volksblad :: 2010-06-14: Verslag oor polisie verdoemend

Author: GOSA
Subject: 2010-06-14: Verslag oor polisie verdoemend
Posted: Mon, 2010-06-14 09:24 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

http://www.nuus24.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Verslag-oor-polisie-verdoemend-20100614

Verslag oor polisie verdoemend
2010-06-14 08:23

Lizel Steenkamp

Volksblad

Kaapstad –Thulisile Madonsela, openbare beskermer (OB), het in ’n verdoemende verslag bevind die polisie se topbestuur is traag om korrupsie in eie geledere te ondersoek.

Luidens di� verslag wat Vrydag uitgereik is, versuim lt.genl. Richard Mdluli, nasionale intelligensiehoof, sedert September 2008 om bewerings te ondersoek dat sekere polisiebeamptes by dwelmhandel en kapwerwe in Tshwane betrokke is. Mdluli het hom ook nie gesteur aan die opdrag om gereeld terugvoering aan die OB te gee oor die vordering van die ondersoek nie.

Madonsela het gevolglik bevind Mdluli se gedrag is strydig met die Grondwet en die Polisiewet, dat dit die polisie se geloofwaardigheid ondermyn en op regsverydeling kan neerkom. Sy eis nou dat genl. Bheki Cele, nasionale polisiehoof, onmiddellik vasstel hoekom Mdluli di� bewerings nooit ondersoek het nie en teen hom en ander aanspreeklike beamptes sal optree, indien nodig.

Maj.genl. Nonkululeko Mbatha, Cele se woordvoerder, het gister ges� die polisie is bewus van die OB se verslag, maar sal eers kommentaar lewer nadat Cele en Madonsela hieroor vergader het.

Intussen gaan me. Dianne Kohler Barnard, DA-LP, versoek dat Cele voor die parlement�re portefeuljekomitee oor polisie verskyn om te verduidelik wat aangaan. “Daar kan net twee redes wees waarom Mdluli dit nie ondersoek het nie: Of hy is onbevoeg en kan nie sy basiese oorsigverpligtinge nakom nie, of hy het belang daarby dat die Gautengse polisie nie ondersoek word nie. Die generaal (Cele) moet kom s� watter een dit is,” het Kohler Barnard in ’n verklaring aangevoer.

Die OB het in Augustus 2008 ’n anonieme wenk oor die beweerde korrupte bedrywighede ontvang en lt.genl. Perumal Naidoo, Gautengse polisiehoof, versoek om dit dringend te ondersoek en gereelde verslae aan die OB voor te l�.

Naidoo het die ondersoek na Mdluli, in daardie stadium sy adjunk, verwys.

Die OB het egter teen Mei 2009 steeds geen verslag van Mdluli ontvang nie en dit het toe twee maande later aan die lig gekom dat geen dossier aangel� is nie. Mdluli is intussen tot intelligensiehoof bevorder en na die polisie se hoofkantoor in Pretoria verplaas.

Volgens die OB het Mdluli die bewerings “nie ernstig opgeneem nie” en ook nie verseker dat dit spoedig en dringend ondersoek word nie.

- Volksblad
_________________
What have YOU done for YOUR rights today?

General - Algemeen :: JASA/GOSA case in the Cape High Court

Author: kologha
Subject: JASA/GOSA case in the Cape High Court
Posted: Thu, 2010-06-10 08:37 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

Hi Everyone, I have just received the following.
kologha

Latest developments:

The judge reserved his judgment on May 31 after a 3 hour hearing. We can expect it in August at the earliest.
The judge wrote to Counsel on both sides asking for further written submissions on a number of issues relating mainly to whether sections 136 and 137 of FCA should be struck down for ambiguity. Our advocates think that almost certainly that is what he wants to do.
This would mean that the case would leap-frog to the Con Court for confirmation of this order and probably the Con Ct would give the State 18 ms to pass replacement legislation. We would try and persuade the Con Ct to indicate to the State that this must include compensation for all guns surrendered. During the waiting period everything would be frozen and the State would not be able to prejudice anyone.

Hope this helps. In reality we can only go one stage at a time. But we shall need more money in the donors fund soon I'm afraid.

Best wishes, John
John Smyth QC
Justice Alliance of South Africa (JASA)
1 Ruskin Road, Bergvliet
Cape Town, 7945

Tel/Fax +27 21 713 3259
Alt Fax 0866727474
Mobile 083 653 8804

General - Algemeen :: Who lies, who tell the truth regarding guns and crime?

Author: crimefree
Subject: Who lies, who tell the truth regarding guns and crime?
Posted: Sun, 2010-05-23 15:38 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

Who lies, who tell the truth regarding guns and crime?

http://www.newstime.co.za/rs_articles_contributors.asp?conid=13
_________________
"Two memorials remain today at Thermoplylae. Upon the modern one is engraved his response to Xerxes' demand that the Spartans lay down their arms. Leonidas' reply was two words, Molon Labe. 'Come and get them'."

General - Algemeen :: What the British ignored

Author: crimefree
Subject: What the British ignored
Posted: Sun, 2010-05-02 17:50 (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0

The problems we face are not new. The problems are the same that England faced. When such an eminent person as Colin Greenwood notes the problems you had better take notice. The Firearm owners of UK did not nor did the firearm organisations change their foolish approach. What was the result? Must we repeat history or can we learn that subcontracting our safety to those who show no sign of understanding the problems is a fatal mistake.

Guns Review, Editorial December 1990
Colin Greenwood

1990 Was a disastrous year for the shooting community. In the second half of the year twenty thousand shotgun certificate holders and eleven thousand firearm certificate holders have been forced out of the sport by the actions of the police facilitated by the Conservative Government's Firearms ( Amendment ) Act. In addition, David Waddington's malicious and knee jerk restrictions on rifle and pistol clubs have effectively stopped recruiting to that aspect of our sport. Those massive reductions in certificate holders have been achieved in just six months of operating the new restrictions. Over a three year renewal cycle, the reduction is going to be 120 000 shotgun certificates and 66 000 firearm certificates. When that cycle is completed, the goal posts will be moved again by either legislative or administrative means. The most likely course of action is the adoption of British Standard for security which will ensure that all security arrangements already adopted will be found to be "insufficient."

The European Firearms Directive and, more recently, the Conservative Government's craven acquiescence to a Birds Directive which they know to be wrong will also do great harm.

The proposed Control of Explosives Order will put a nail in the coffin of black powder shooting and reloading.

Those who think we are merely spreading doom and gloom should look back. We forecast the twenty thousand reduction in shotgun certificates unerringly, though we did not forecast the massive reduction in firearm certificates. This magazine has been warning the shooting community of what would happen and we have been right. All that we forecast has come to pass. Yet those who run our organizations remain complacent, blind to the threats and unwilling or unable to counter them. Let there be no mistake, we can fight back. We have the people in the right places and we have the power. But fighting back demands that those who supposedly command our forces understand the nature of the threat. Clearly they do not. One correspondent in this issue refers to the staggering complacency of the National Rifle Association, whose latest magazine contains nothing at all about all these threats. In terms of the club restrictions the magazine merely notes that the Home Office granted the NRA exemptions beyond those they required for running the Imperial Meeting. All is well, therefore, the 100th Imperial Meeting at Bisley could go ahead. The rest of our sport can wither and die and in the near future there will be no-one to compete at Bisley, but all is well because this year got by. Their gratitude to the Home Office knows no bounds. The British Field Sports Society's report of the European Legislation in their September 1990 newsletter under the headline "Europe drops gun curbs" claiming that FACE and ( of course ) BFSS stopped the European Parliament imposing "stringent tests" on gun owners. The complex proposals are dismissed in a few words. All is well, BFSS has stopped these damned Europeans !

We are faced with a police service which is determined, by fair means or foul, to eliminate the private ownership of firearms because of their own inability to do their basic job of controlling criminals. We have a Home Office regime whose motives for the same policy are much more deadly and far reaching and we have a Conservative Government which has lost any understanding of democracy. All these are our enemies but our worst enemy of all is in our midst. It is the complacency of shooting organizations and their total failure to tackle the real problem which is political.

The National Pistol Association is surely leading the way and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation is now making real efforts, though it still lacks the will to fight a real political battle. For the rest of them, we have to say, why are we paying these people ? Renewal time is coming along. Why are you paying money to the National Rifle Association and the National Smallbore Rifle Association ? Why are you supporting CPSA which has done the least good and most harm of all the organizations. Why are you supporting the British Field Sports Society which we have previously described as the hound sports branch of the Conservative Party. At the very least you must ask the question.

There is much talk of a single, strong organization. That will not come about by voluntary action in the associations, but we shall come close if shooters will stop supporting those who deserve no support and turn their membership and their money to the organizations which will serve them. A strong NPA and a strong BASC bode well for the future, though we must ensure that neither become complacent and must not hesitate to attack them from the inside, if that is necessary.

So we have to look forward to 1991. This may well be an election year. The answer to our current problem is purely political and we must show the Conservative Party that their betrayal not only of the shooting community but of all semblance of honesty, fairness and decency, will cost them dear. Let us resolve to fight. If we have to go down, then let us go down fighting. But we don't have to go down. If we concentrate our efforts and make a determined counter attack, the tide of this war of attrition can be turned. But it will not happen with shooters sitting comfortably around a Christmas tree hoping for a fair deal to fall from the branches.

For 1991 we must resolve not only to get off our backsides, but to force those who accept our money to get off their backsides. Together we must fight. The future of our sport is at stake. Our children will never know the pleasures of our sport unless we act now. Let us not betray them.

_________________
"Two memorials remain today at Thermoplylae. Upon the modern one is engraved his response to Xerxes' demand that the Spartans lay down their arms. Leonidas' reply was two words, Molon Labe. 'Come and get them'."

Gunformation Forum

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General - Algemeen :: SAHGCA & SAPS Court Case update

The (Sunday) Times :: 2003-03-16: Minister and police chief at odds

Licencing and re-licencing :: High Court rules

From all over :: Thoughtleader: Gun control &#8212; clutching at straws

From IOL :: 2010-06-02: Cops 'lose over 5 300 guns'

News24 :: 2010-04-20: Cops or thugs?

Die Volksblad :: 2010-06-14: Verslag oor polisie verdoemend

General - Algemeen :: JASA/GOSA case in the Cape High Court

General - Algemeen :: Who lies, who tell the truth regarding guns and crime?

General - Algemeen :: What the British ignored

From all over :: Thoughtleader: Gun control — clutching at straws