Gunformation Forum • View topic - 2009-10-29: CHASA Press Release
2009-10-29: CHASA Press Release
by GOSA » Thu, 2009-11-19 15:30
CHASA PRESS RELEASE:
Firearms in the hands of legitimate owners are not the cause of the high crime rate in South Africa.
The Confederation of Hunters Associations of South Africa (CHASA), to which nearly 90% of hunters associations in South Africa belong, is concerned and startled by the recent remarks made by President Jacob Zuma and followed up by the Minister of Police, intimating that the number of licensed legal firearms in the hands of sportsmen and women, hunters and huntresses, individuals and private collectors contributes to the high rate of violent crime in South Africa.
This, in the opinion of CHASA, is an untruth and has most likely been caused by the President and Minister being ill-informed and misled by officials in charge of crime statistics in general, statistics related to ownership, theft and loss of firearms as well as statistics on crime related to firearms.
CHASA has made a request to the President's office to meet with him on this matter and to ensure that the information he has regarding private ownership of firearms is balanced, and that the ownership of firearms by the legitimate firearm owning
community referred to above, is not compromised. As the President has shown his willingness to engage with people "on the ground" regarding important issues of National concern, we await a positive response from his office.
Vuurwapens in die besit van wettige eienaars is nie die oorsaak van die hoë misdaadsyfers in Suid Afrika nie.
Die Konfederasie van Jagtersverenigings van Suid Afrika (CHASA), waaraan 90% van jagtersverenigings in SA behoort, is bekommerd en ontsteld oor die onlangse uitlatings wat deur President Jacob Zuma gemaak en deur die Minister van Polisie
bevestig is dat die getal wettige vuurwapens in die besit van sportmanne en -vroue, jagters, individue en privaat versamelaars bydra tot die hoë vlakke van ernstige misdaad in Suid Afrika.
Dit is die oorwoë standpunt van CHASA dat hierdie uitlatings heeltemal onwaar is en veroorsaak is deurdat die President en Minister totaal oningelig en mislei is deur amptenary in beheer van misdaadstatistiek in die algemeen, statistiek met betrekking tot eienaarskap, diefstal en verlies van vuurwapens, sowel as statistiek in verband met vuurwapenverwante misdaad.
CHASA het 'n versoek tot die Presidentskantoor gerig om hom te ontmoet om hierdie saak te bespreek en te verseker dat die inligting wat hy het met betrekking tot private vuurwapeneienaarskap, gebalanseerd is en dat die eienaarskap van vuurwapens deur 'n wetsgehoorsame gemeenskap, nie in die gedrang kom nie. Aangesien die President sy bereidwilligheid aangedui het om met mense "op grondvlak" te kommunikeer oor belangrike sake van Nasionale belang, verwag ons dat hy positief op ons versoek sal reageer.