Programme Directors
The Executive Mayor of Rustenburg Local Municipality, Councillor Jeanette Dibetso-Nyathi
The Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, Motlotlegi Kgosi Mabe
The Executive Mayor of Bojanala Platinum District Municipality, Councillor Lobang
Raymond Motsepe
Chairperson and Members of the Portfolio Committee on Public Safety in the North West Provincial Legislature
Executive Mayors and Mayors present
Batlotlegi Dikgosi tsa rona
Members of mayoral committees responsible for public safety
Councillors serving on the portfolio committees for public safety in their respective municipalities
The Executive and Member of the Provincial Community Policing Board
Executive and Senior Managers from the Justice Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, all government departments and parastatals
Representatives of various religious groups
Representatives of Business Against Crime North West
Representatives of Gun Free South Africa
Representatives of private security company, gun shop owners
Members of the media
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Guns, legal and illegal have shattered many dreams, crushed many aspirations, aborted high expectations and claimed many innocent lives in our homes, on our streets, in our schools and in our communities. The sound of gunshots, even a single gunshot in the middle of the night disturbs the tranquillity of the entire neighbourhood because most of us have experienced that a gun, legal or illegal in wrong hands bring innocent lives to an abrupt end.
It is for this reason that we have gathered here in response to the clarion call by Minster of Police, Nathi Mthethwa for all citizens who are in unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and firearm parts to hand them over for destruction in order to reduce violent crimes involving firearms.
My department takes into cognisance the idea that each and every citizen of our beloved country should take the responsibility to create a safe environment for all hence we had planned to conduct a campaign related to the Fire Arms Control Act for the financial year 2009/10.
The objective of the campaign we are formally launching today is therefore to raise awareness and educate communities around the North West about compliance to the Firearms Control Act.
The aim of the campaign is to promote a safer environment, reduce the high crime rate related to firearms use and contribute towards crime prevention initiatives within the province. The campaign process roll-out incorporates in it the implementation of the 90 days amnesty period as proclaimed by Minister Mthethwa through
Government Gazette No.32738 dated 25 November 2009. The Amnesty period I should emphasise, is limited to the period 11 January 2010 to 11 April 2010. Therefore those of our people who have inherited firearms inherited or in possession of a firearm that belonged to a deceased person for which they do not have a legal firearm license, permit or authorisation are left with only 36 days to surrender such firearms and or ammunitions or face the full might of the law.
Through operational plans that are coordinated at all of our police stations with the involvement of respective community policing forums, targeted campaign outreach
programmes to schools, churches, the business sector, private security companies, gun shops, taxi associations and farmers unions preceded this formal launch with the passionate call to action Awulethe Umshini Wakho-Surrender Your Firearm.
Posters and pamphlets about the campaign were also distributed at shops, malls, schools, taverns, local municipalities and different institutions and centres where people converge.
Though the campaign has received support from key stakeholders across various sectors and in particular Business Against Crime North West, Gun Free South Africa, the taxi industry, traditional leaders, organised labour formations across, the outreach campaigns will be intensified during the remaining 36 days of the Amnesty period.
The need for the amnesty was informed by the significant pool of illegal firearms either smuggled into the country or stolen from licensed members of the public and or the police in circulation which contribute to the high rate of serious and violent crime as well as firearm-related crimes.
Therefore, it is clear that a large percentage of these firearms are owned illegally and the State has little or no information of them.
Specific mindsets and historical conditions drive elements of the crime problem in our country. As a result there is an abundance or general increase of firearms in the hands of civilians. Many of these guns which are in wrong hands are being used to perpetuate crime on foreigners business and vulnerable members of society, especially women and children. We call therefore call on all citizens to action Awulethe Umshini Wakho - Surrender Your Firearm because after 11 April 2010, we are coming after you like an avalanche.
We also wish to encourage those licensed holders who had not renewed their firearm licenses to use this window of opportunity to come clean by either surrendering their firearms or submitting new applications for renewal of their licenses.
The reduction of the proliferation of firearms that are in circulation in our communities will most definitely advance us towards the realisation of our objective of creating safer communities that are free from violent crime. We also need to emphasise that the decision to declare the amnesty should not be misinterpreted as implying that the Firearm Control Act (FCA), Act No.60 of 2000 is ineffective. In fact, Section 139 of the Act does provide for the declaration of an amnesty to be possible. The purpose of the FCA is to enable the State to remove illegally possessed firearms from society, prevent the proliferation of illegally possessed firearms and provide for the removal of those firearms from society.
Again we need to emphasise that people surrendering firearms will not be compensated. The amnesty has been declared in the spirit of positively contributing to the reduction of crime through voluntary surrendering of firearms.
As government we remain confident that our communities will persist in building partnerships further to change our society for the better. We shall spare neither strength nor courage until crime has been significantly reduced in our country. We reiterate the call: "Awulethe Umshini Wakho - Surrender Your Firearms."
The amnesty period should therefore, not be seen in isolation from government's efforts to reduce the number of illegal firearms in circulation, but as part of our holistic approach which includes, promoting responsible ownership of firearms. Through this amnesty, we are also advocating for voluntary surrendering for destruction of licensed firearms through the process prescribed in the firearms
Control regulations
We remain confident in a transparent and effective management of this process. In order to ensure public confidence in the process, we have put in place comprehensive monitoring mechanisms. An integral part of effective monitoring is the introduction of quality control into the entire process of the surrendering of illegal firearms, ammunition and firearm parts.
Through sheer vigilance, a captain was arrested last week in Klerksdorp for keeping to himself a firearm surrendered during the amnesty .The arrest proves that check and balances are in place to ensure that the process is without discrepancies.
Though rotten apples are getting fewer by the day in the South African Police Service, we wish to advice members of the public who will be surrendering firearms during the amnesty period to insist on written receipts and to check that the firearm they have surrendered are listed in the government gazette to be issued prior destruction because the process is not meant to recycle firearms into the hands of criminals.
I should however also assure you that with the assistance of the majority of members of the service who are dedicated, honest and loyal, we are pruning the service of corrupt elements by the day.
The 4095 that the province handed in for destruction in December last year bears testimony that the firearms amnesty process seeks to genuinely protect people's lives and safety, by permanently draining the pool of illegal weapons in society.
I am sure that most of us have seen the massive destruction of firearms and ammunition on television or either read coverage thereof on other news media. Firearms submitted during the amnesty that end on 11 April 2010 are also destined for destruction in accordance with prescribed the firearms control regulations.
Not a single one of them will bring tears and sorrow to any orphaned child, widow or grief to a family anymore. Our crime statistics analysis bear testimony that though we are fully liberated from the brand of apartheid rule, our freedom is not without challenges, crime continues to threaten the lives of communities and tends to be violent and unbearable, whether it takes place in homes, businesses or shopping malls. It is a known fact: when crime takes place it increases the feelings of being unsafe in a free country. We have therefore, set aside a gracious period to allow all citizens in possession of illegal firearms to hand them to any police station in the province.
Government will not, by itself, address the crime problem. For us to fight crime better and faster we need the unwavering support of all stakeholders, our communities, faith-based organisations, businesses, non-governmental organisation (NGOs) and everyone. All of us are expected lend a hand to the national effort to fight crime fight corruption, by rendering full support to community policing forums and more directly by reporting crime and corruption, where you encounter it.
We must also work with our police service in the apprehension of criminals and not harbour them. Remember a friend to a criminal is a criminal; hence the saying ‘birds of the same feather flock together.’
Once more, Programme Director, I wish to commend our men and women in blue for their relentless efforts in reducing crime. During Operation Duty Calls over the festive season our province has, through tireless efforts, recorded considerable declines in various crimes including cash-in-transits, armed robberies, house robberies/break-ins and business robberies.
Aggravated robbery and theft of motor vehicle also decreased significantly during the past festive period. Due to higher police visibility carjacking, theft of motor vehicle and public robbery were significantly decreased. Building on the successes we have scored during the period, we will intensify the onslaught against lawlessness and crime in order to squeeze the space for criminals to be forever on their back foot.
We owe it as a tribute to our icon and giant of our liberation struggle, Utata Nelson Mandela to host the best matches in our province in a safe and secure environment. We did it during the 2009 Confederation Cup matches that we hosted therefore we should not allow any criminal to rob us of the pleasure of hosting the best ever Football World Cup and showcasing our hospitality and our indomitable spirit of ubuntu.
Those who do not surrender illegal firearms in their possession should know that after the closure of the amnesty period, we’ll come after them like an avalanche to show them that the battle will be fought on our own terms, for the benefit of our communities and to their loss. Washa Tsotsi!!! You may run but you cannot hide will be our battle cry.
In conclusion, we appreciate the partnership of Business Against Crime North West, Gun Free South Africa, the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, Members of the Portfolio Committee on Public Safety, Provincial Community Policing Board ,community policing forums, the taxi industry, private security companies, gun shop owners, all our municipalities, departments in the Justice Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, the departments of education, agriculture, conservation and environment, farmers unions, organised labour formations and trust that all of you including the media will assist us to amplify the call for people throughout the province to surrender their firearms.
Together we can do more to surpass the 500 firearms surrendered in our province since the commencement of the amnesty period. Let us strengthen the partnership for a war against crime and ensure that this opportunity leaves a lasting legacy that will endure for generations to come, both for our country and our continent. Besides the physical infrastructure attached to this global spectacle, we should emerge from the Football World Cup more united as a nation and as a continent, and having changed the attitude of the world about our capacity and our humanity.
We call on members of our communities to join the partnership for a war against crime to reclaim our streets and our neighbourhoods from violent crime by surrendering their firearms."Awulethe Umshini Wakho - Surrender Your Firearms."
Ke a leboga.
