Firearms amendment bill, 2021
[{“type”:”text”,”content”:”In finalising its comments on the bill, Agri SA consulted with legal counsel and experts on policing. Agri SA submitted its comment on the bill to the CSP, which was mandated by its member organisations.nnThe following were emphasised in the comments: nn* Not allowing citizens the right to protect themselves and their families, is an invasion of their constitutional rights to the life and security of the person. Agri SA is vehemently opposed to the removal of self-defence as a reason to apply for a license and to possess a firearm for self-defence and the scrapping of section 13 and 14 of the FCA, as proposed in the draft Bill. n* The proposed repeal of sections 13 and 14 of the FCA would be irrational as it is based on dated, inaccurate and subjective considerations reflected in the SEIAS document and it is not rationally connected to any reasons advanced, i.e. to reduce violent crimes.n* The effect of the proposed repeal of sections 13 and 14 would be tantamount to treating the symptoms of a proverbial illness, not the illness itself, which is also irrational.n* An amendment as significant as the proposed amendments to the FCA cannot be based on dated, unreliable and subjective opinions, but must be supported by proper, relevant research.n* The Bill will not be able to prevent criminals, who have no regard for South Africau2019s justice system, to obtain illegal firearms. The Bill only targets law-abiding citizens. The police should rather focus on disarming criminals. n* None of the proposed amendments will contribute in any way to decrease crimes committed by the unlawful use of firearms. The unintended consequence is that law-abiding citizens are penalised with no effect on criminals. nnAgri SA will keep its members updated.”,”position”:0,”id”:”cf33Nz24idrGKZZ9″}]