The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has strongly criticised AfriForum and what it calls other “right-wing” groups for seeking to block Nedlac’s planned engagement on the draft Firearms Amendment Bill.

COSATU has accused these groups of trying to silence business, labour, and community representatives after the Police Secretariat had already allowed extensive input from gun lobby organisations.

COSATU argues that public engagement is fundamental and that barring Nedlac, a joint government, business, and labour body, from deliberating on the Bill would amount to “gross hypocrisy.” The federation says gun-related violence is a national crisis, with South Africa recording 33 gun deaths every day, which it claims is double the figure of twenty years ago. More than 24 licensed firearms are stolen daily, while guns are implicated in nearly 29% of all murders, according to COSATU.

COSATU claims that gun owners are more likely to have a weapon stolen than to use one in self-defence.

Recalling the impact of the Firearms Control Act of 2000, COSATU claimed that, as a consequence of the law, police recovered 800 000 illegal firearms over five years, firearm deaths fell by 4 500 annually, and gun thefts dropped by 35%.

The trade union federation supports banning certain weapons, disqualifying anyone facing gender-based or violent charges from gun ownership, requiring compulsory ballistic testing, and introducing limits on how many guns or rounds a person may own.

COSATU maintains these proposed reforms do not constitute a blanket gun ban but instead aim to reduce the country’s roughly 12 000 annual gun-related deaths. The federation insists that the right to life must be paramount and welcomes the opportunity for “constructive engagements” at Nedlac before the Bill heads to Parliament.