A Call To Government For Fair Treatment Of Legal Gun Owners

Firearm ownership has become a contentious issue in South Africa. Fighting on the frontline for the rights of gun owners in this country is Gun Owners South Africa. Pieter Dempsey spoke to the organisation’s senior management about the red tape and government inefficiencies faced by legal gun owners or people wishing to apply for a firearm in this country.

- Pieter Dempsey

What is Gun Owners South Africa’s (GOSA) role and purpose?

GOSA is a South African firearms rights organisation that does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, socio-economic circumstances, religion, age or any other identifiable criteria. We believe that firearm rights are civil rights and that firearm ownership should be a basic human right. It’s a proven fact that a firearm is the most effective tool to protect our constitutionally enshrined right to safety of the person. It’s also a human right explicitly mentioned and protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.

GOSA is the gun lobby in South Africa and fights for firearm ownership for all in South Africa. We are a membership-based, non-profit company with over 55 000 members.

Why has gun ownership and licensing emerged as such a contentious issue in South Africa over the past few years?