President Cyril Ramaphosa says there is progress towards silencing guns. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency (ANA)
Durban — President Cyril Ramaphosa said great progress has been made towards silencing the guns in Africa by 2030.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the 36th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, over the weekend.
Ramaphosa led South Africa’s participation in the AU Peace and Security Council and the Summit of Heads of State and Government. Through his role as AU chairperson of the Peace and Security Council, Ramaphosa outlined progress with the project to silence guns throughout the continent.
“In this regard, the president reported on a breakthrough in the conflict between the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and the Tigray Liberation Front where a process facilitated in South Africa secured a ceasefire agreement and a commitment by the parties to pursue peace,” read a statement.
Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) said the latest gun massacres in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape would not be the last if the government again makes empty promises of action.
GFSA said these same promises were made in July last year when 21 people were shot and killed and 20 injured in three separate shootings at taverns in KZN and Gauteng.
It said the government’s response of deploying crime intelligence, forensic experts, tactical and organised crime units was not enough.
Adèle Kirsten, GFSA’s director, said the increasing flood of guns and ammunition into society meant more gun violence, including gun massacres.
Kirsten said 30 people are shot and killed every day in South Africa.
“It is clear that the government did not use the 2021 massacres to develop a strategy and plan of action to deal with increasing levels of gun violence and to curb the proliferation of guns.
“To deal with the scale of the problem right now requires a clear strategy, good intelligence and the focus has to shift from not only arresting the criminals but also recovering and destroying the guns to stop them from being used again and again, as well as to stopping guns leaking into criminal hands in the first place,” said Kirsten.
Meanwhile, political parties and civil society groups in South Africa are calling for the removal of Police Minister Bheki Cele following the shocking third-quarter crime statistics released on Friday. According to the stats, out of 7 555 people murdered, 3 144 were killed with firearms.
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