Police committee chairperson raises questions on processing of Firearms Amendment Bill
Ian Cameron, chairperson of the Police portfolio committee, raises serious concerns about the ongoing handling of the Firearms Control Amendment Bill, questioning the transparency of the legislative process.
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Questions have been raised by Ian Cameron, chairperson of the portfolio committee on Police regarding the handling of the Firearms Control Amendment Bill.
The Bill, which was first published in 2021 was widely rejected during public consultations, is still being processed and Cameron has raised concerns about transparency in the legislative process.
In response to questions in Parliament regarding the Bill, acting Minister of Police Professor Firoz Cachalia stated that the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) remains the drafter of the Bill and that the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) has been tasked with reviewing it.
According to the reply, “through the engagement with NEDLAC as a stakeholder, the Drafting Team on the Bill will obtain input from the social partners on areas that affect their constituencies.”
Cameron criticised the ministry’s response as “vague and seemingly evasive,” saying it “skirted around the core issues.”
He added: “The draft amendment Bill is exactly the same one from 2021… Rather than being withdrawn or revised, it is being recycled through government processes.”
He also questioned the role of NEDLAC. “NEDLAC has been sitting on this Bill for over three months without any meaningful consultation with the relevant stakeholders. This delay, combined with the lack of transparency, suggests that the process is being driven behind closed doors rather than through open engagement.”
Last month, The Mercury reported that the South African Gunowners’ Association (SAGA) had raised concerns that NEDLAC had held no formal consultations with the representatives of the firearms industry regarding the Bill.
Cameron listed several outstanding concerns, especially regarding the loss or theft of state-owned firearms.
“No disclosure of how many state-owned firearms are still missing. No evidence suggests that licensed firearm owners are the problem, despite SAPS’ own statistics indicating that illegal weapons, many of which were lost or stolen from state entities, drive significant incidents of gun violence. No progress on fixing the Central Firearms Register, which remains mired in corruption and dysfunction. No explanation as to why the public’s clear rejection in 2021 is being ignored.”
According to Cameron, “senior managers and processes like NEDLAC may be shaping a misleading narrative for the Minister, pushing forward a failed piece of legislation under the guise of reform.”
“South Africa doesn’t need a copy-and-paste amendment Bill from 2021. What we need is a fully functional Central Firearms Register, consequence management for officials and syndicates leaking guns into criminal networks. Citizens deserve facts, transparency, and real solutions, not recycled laws that target the wrong people,” Cameron said.