South Africa is grappling with an alarming gun violence crisis, with a staggering 33 people losing their lives every day. According to Gun Free South Africa(GFSA), the country’s gun-related homicide rate is higher than the number of fatalities from road traffic accidents.
The lobby group’s researcher, Clair Taylor, revealed that the latest national mortality surveillance study paints a grim picture. “More people are shot and killed than die in road traffic accidents, the statistics show that since 2016 the killing of people using guns has continued unabated,” Taylor said.
The GFSA’s concerns are echoed in the latest annual crime statistics, which show a significant spike in violent crime over the past decade murder rates have increased by 62% since 2013-2014, with a staggering 27,494 murders recorded in 2022-2023. Attempted murder cases have also risen by nearly 50%.
Taylor emphasized that the majority of these incidents involved guns, “That’s why we will continue to push the government to implement proper strategies and laws to get rid of guns in our communities,” he said.
Furthermore, the GFSA has expressed concern over the ongoing gang violence in the Western Cape, as well as recent mass killings in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Taylor stressed that the responsibility for enforcing gun control and ensuring public safety rests squarely on the government’s shoulders.
Moreover, the most devastating impact of gun violence was highlighted by recent tragedies including the massacre of 18 people in Lusikisiki, in September 2024 and the killing of seven family members in Orange Farm, Gauteng on October. Police data indicate that guns were used in 12,000 to 16,000 murders in South Africa over the 2023-2024 year.
As the gun violence epidemic continues to ravage communities across the country, the GFSA’s call to action couldn’t be more urgent. Will the government heed the warning and take decisive action to curb the scourge of gun violence, or will the body count continue to rise? Only time will tell.
Photograph: SAPS
