Gun Free South Africa says govt needs to do more to enforce gun regulations

CAPE TOWN - Gun Free South Africa said that government needed to do more to enforce gun regulations in the country.

The national crime statistics released recently showed that 5,727 people were murdered in South Africa between January to March this year.

The figures also showed that guns continued to be the weapon of choice in most of the murders.

Between January and March this year, 697 people were shot and killed in Gauteng, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 638.

In the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, 590 and 408 people were also shot to death, respectively, during this period.

Gun Free SA director, Stanley Maphosa, said that theft and corruption had led to guns ending up in the wrong hands.

"That is something that needs to be managed. The robbers, the gangs, and the criminals that commit these crimes are obtaining these guns from a leaking market, so the taps must be closed so that guns will not be used to commit murders."

He said that without the enforcement of firearm laws, the government's attempts to curb gun violence would fall flat.