11 November 1999

Dear friend,

Your voice can stop a bullet

Every day, more than 30 people die of gunshot wounds and many more are injured. One way we can change this is to work together for stricter gun laws.

Is this an issue that concerns you or your organisation?

The government plans to replace the existing Arms and Ammunition Act with a stronger law, and the Department of Safety and Security is presently finalising a new Firearms Bill. The Bill will be released to the public soon and will, we understand, go to Parliament very early next year.

We believe that the new Bill will contain provisions for far stronger gun control. This would reduce the number of guns in circulation and, in our view, lead to a reduction in gun-related violence, deaths and injuries. We need your help to make this happen.

One thing is certain. A strong, organised and very determined gun lobby will try to block the legislation or, at the very least, attempt to water it down a great deal.

We must be ready for this.

We need your help to counter the gun lobby. To do this, we must all work to ensure that every individual and organisation that supports strong gun control raises its voice and is heard.

How can we do this?

We can all make submissions. When the Bill goes to Parliament, the Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security will ask for public comment on the Bill. Public comments of this kind are called submissions and may be written or spoken. We have the right to express our opinions in submissions, and we can also ask to be invited to a public hearing.

It is critical that Parliament receives a great many submissions from a wide range of individuals and organisations that support gun control. So, you have a very important role to play.

To help you, we include some guidelines on preparing submissions. You may find this useful. In addition, the Gun Control Alliance will be preparing a summary of the Bill as soon as it is released. We will be happy to send you this summary and a copy of the Bill so that you can study it yourself. Please contact us at 011 403-4590 or 021 686 1302 for copies of these documents.

We will also organise workshops to explain and discuss key points in the Bill and discuss how we can most effectively prepare our submissions. Please contact us if you would like to participate in a workshop or if you need any other support in preparing your submission.

There are other ways we can show our support for strong gun control legislation, as well. We've put together some ideas in a "Tactics" document for you. If you have other ideas, share them with us. It can only make the campaign stronger.

All over the world, people are calling for stricter gun control. South Africa must add its voice to the many who are committed to building a safer and more secure world. We have lobbied for new legislation for many years. It is important that we use this opportunity to ensure that government makes the right decision.

We can only achieve a better life for all if we reduce gun violence in our society.

If we act now, our voices can stop many bullets.

With kind regards

Gun Free South Africa

For the Gun Control Alliance