SUBMISSION TO THE SAFETY & SECURITY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE OF PARLIAMENT ON THE REVISED FIREARMS CONTROL BILL

12 JUNE 2000

DISABLED PEOPLE SOUTH AFRICA


Disabled People South Africa represents the interests of the estimated ten percent of the population who live with disabilities.

While it is not recorded how many South Africans have become disabled as a result of gunshot wounds, it is common knowledge that a significant number have been victims of violence. An often-quoted statistic claims that, for each person killed in a situation of violence, as many as three more are likely to suffer permanent disabilities.

It is our conviction that the current proliferation of firearms in South Africa significantly contributes to the number of people with disabilities. We know this simply by the inordinate numbers among our leadership and members who became disabled as a result of shooting incidents ranging from accidental shootings, taxi violence and violent crime.

Moreover, people with disabilities are themselves especially vulnerable to attack and are frequently victims of gun violence.

People who have become so disabled find themselves facing insurmountable barriers to a life of quality, barriers which may take many years to dismantle.
These barriers are in access to education, transport, employment, social security and many other areas.

In the mean time, such victims of violence constitute a real drain on the country’s resources in terms of the costs of hospitalisation, treatment, rehabilitation and welfare.

DPSA welcomes the provisions of the Firearms Control Bill which will lead to a significantly improved control environment. We also associate ourselves with the submission on the subject by Gun Free South Africa.

We urge the Committee to seriously consider these submissions in the interest of
Ordinary South Africans who live daily with the consequences of the current hopelessly inadequate firearm control legislation.

Mike Du Toit
Secretary General