01 Oct 2000: Society Under Siege, Volume Three. Managing Arms in South Africa, V Gamba, C Hansmann (eds)
SOCIETY UNDER SIEGE VOLUME THREE
Managing Arms in South Africa
Edited by Virginia Gamba with the assistance of Clare Hansmann
October 2000
Society Under Siege: Managing Arms in South Africa, volume three of the series, represents the culmination of three years work within the Arms Management Programme (AMP) and represents the completion of the TCP series, Society Under Siege. This work has been a progressive framing of the debate on dealing with the problems caused by firearms in the 1990s and an explication of how they impact on Southern Africa. The series has provided all the information necessary for generating a holistic approach to weapons and has used the case study of South Africa.
The Society Under Siege series comprises three volumes which outline, "why light weapons should be more effectively controlled in Southern Africa, … the underlying reasons for the occurrence of the proliferation of light weapons, the present dynamics of light weapons proliferation and the way in which existing regional structures could be used to stem the flows". As a series, Society Under Siege represents an umbrella of thought on small arms, tracking the debate from the comparative international initiatives, through regional policy options, to the South African reality. It shows the link between crime and small arms (Volume 1); it accesses which structures are in place in Africa and South Africa to prevent and combat illicit trafficking (Volume 2); and, finally, it makes the connection between legal weapons, illegal weapons and the culture of violence on a national level (Volume 3). This information provides a comprehensive overview of the information needed to address the problems of small arms in the case study of South Africa.
This third and final volume in the series, Society Under Siege: Managing Arms in South Africa, looks at the issue of small arms within South Africa. It considers the dilemma presented by the circulation of firearms and the transitional state of these weapons as they move within a single life cycle from legal to illegal. How this contributes to, and perpetuates, the cycle of violence in Southern Africa, and possible policy controls and community-based initiatives that could curb this also come under discussion.
Section 1 of Volume lll considers the nature and extent of the circulation of firearms within Southern Africa, and the transition between legal and illegal firearms. In Chapter 1, Meek outlines the international context in which firearm proliferation occurs. She identifies the end of the Cold War as a key determinant for Africa, following the inevitable dumping of weapons on the continent – although this was a characteristic feature of conflict in Africa prior to that. She focuses on the regional flow of weapons within Southern Africa, outlining the source, transit and end-user countries. Due to the durability of firearms, the life span of a weapon may be many decades. Tracking the flow of weapons outlines their transition from legal to illegal status, as they move from one context and possessor to another. This Meek demonstrates, citing a number of examples of these flows in Southern Africa. In Chapter 2, Hennop grapples with the problem of illegal firearms in circulation. He outlines the sources of illegal firearms, diagrammatically plotting the flows of firearms in Southern Africa.
Section ll of Volume 3 considers the extent of legal firearm ownership in South Africa and possible policy and legislative controls on legal firearms. It presents an overview of the main findings from research to inform the national policy debate. In Chapter 3, Meek considers the extent of legal firearm ownership in South Africa. She argues that, while it is often claimed that targeting legal owners of firearms as a means of addressing the proliferation of illegal firearms is frequently thwarted, since it is regarded as unnecessary and misguided, yet the information provided on civilian-owned firearms in South Africa and the role such weapons play in violent crime, as well as in accidental death and suicides, argues to the contrary. Meek also provides an analysis of the shortcomings of the current legislation and policy governing the civilian possession of firearms in South Africa, with a view to identifying the steps that can be taken to impact on efforts to reduce gun-related crime and violence in the country. In Chapter 4, Hansmann and Hennop consider the findings of research conducted by the AMP to inform the drafting of national firearm policy. In five workshops attended by members of the Illegal Firearms Investigation Units (FIUs), support was given for tightening existing controls over firearms. In a docket analysis of 788 firearm-related dockets, the misuse and poor control of firearms and the investigative capacity of the SAPS pointed to the need for better controls. Finally, in an audit on the accuracy of the Central Firearm Registry (CFR), it was found that three in ten licence holders have correct information on record. To redress this, policy needs to ensure a registration process under which law enforcement personnel can trace firearm licence holders.
Section lll of this publication considers the culture of violence within South Africa and how firearms contribute to fuelling this culture. It examines the findings of a survey commissioned in the Lekoa/Vaal area, South of Johannesburg, that aimed to obtain information to inform the design of a community-based strategy to reduce firearm dependency. It provides insight into the type of information that could inform the design of community-based initiatives to reduce firearm penetration and firearm dependency. In Chapter 5, Cock posits the idea of violence in South Africa as identity based. She argues that the demand for small arms is socially constructed and embedded in various social practices and cultural forms. Any solution to the proliferation of guns has to deal with these social relations and contested identities. Both Meek and Hansmann consider the findings of the Lekoa/Vaal community survey. In Chapter 6, Meek presents an overview of the findings of the survey of the Lekoa/Vaal community, noting, at last, a strong community support for better firearm controls. In order to combat crime and violence in South Africa, a twin approach of government and community working in parallel is recommended. In Chapter 7, Hansmann considers which elements of the survey could inform the design of community-based initiatives to reduce firearm dependency.
Section lV considers the role of civil society in the control of firearms, presenting two cases. In Chapter 8, Gun Free South Africa outlines its role in the control of firearm proliferation and the reversal of the culture of violence. In Chapter 9, the South African Gunowners Association puts its case on the control of light weapons. Civil society needs to contest government with regards to their actions on firearm controls in order to ensure accountability and transparency.
Finally, the Conclusion, informed by the opinion of the various contributions, and aware of the current debate surrounding the adoption of new firearm legislation, formulates policy for new firearm control legislation in South Africa. The aim of which is to ensure more responsible firearm ownership, and control between the licit and illicit arms flows.
The process of completion of this final volume has been hampered by the delay in the promulgation of the new firearm control policy within South Africa. Civil society and state actors in the country have hotly debated the content and structure of the new firearm control bill. Although the South African Cabinet has approved the firearm policy (as contained in Annex 4 (see below)), the new bill will only be promulgated in 2000. The new firearm policy is long overdue, more specifically as conditions in South Africa have altered significantly since the former Arms and Ammunition Act was promulgated in 1969. As South Africa moves toward adopting the new firearm legislation, the debate will shift to what constitutes the best practices for implementation and enforcement of the legislation, as well as to a critical evaluation of the implication of this policy for civil society and the control of firearms in South Africa. It is to be hoped that this Series has not only created a forum for awareness concerning arms proliferation, but has helped to inform policy designed to monitor and control it.
CONTENTS
