Simpler, better, faster: Review of the 2005 firearms amnesty

This paper provides an in depth analysis of the results and factors that contributed to making the SAPS 2005 firearms amnesty a success

Firearm amnesties are seen as one of the tools available to governments to control both legal and illegal stocks of guns, and have been used around the world for this purpose. However, several factors such as the conditions of the amnesty, timing and duration, as well as the socio-political context, can either contribute to or hinder the success of an amnesty. This paper provides an in depth analysis not just of the results but more importantly the factors that contributed to making the SAPS 2005 firearms amnesty a success.

About the author

Adèle Kirsten is a research associate with the Arms Management Programme (AMP) at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria. She has worked in the field of violence prevention and small arms control for more than 20 years, with both local and international experience. She was a founding member of Gun Free South Africa, a national NGO in South Africa, and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA). She is currently completing a book on the history of the gun control movement in South Africa which will be published in late 2007.