Hon Deputy Speaker, there is a tragic point of departure in this entire debate. More people are killed with small arms than by any other means. In the IFP we have always defended the right of people to bear arms. We do not believe in lawful citizens being disarmed and the lawbreakers being armed. However, there must be regulations because weapons are what fuel conflicts in our communities.
A few kilometres from here an ignored war is taking place. Every night shootings are taking place at Hanover Park. Police seem incapable of dealing with the situation. Residents are invoking a state of emergency. This war is the product of illegal drugs and illegal weapons having found their way on a large scale into one of our poorest communities. This is a situation which is repeated over and over again all over the country, affecting every family living in these areas.
If one looks at the statistics of this war in our backyards, which the media is silent about, women and children are amongst the daily casualties. They bear no guns, they participate in no war and yet they are always the ones who pay the highest price.
Hon Deputy Speaker, we carry the final responsibilities for their suffering, if instead of being active we remain inactive and continue to ignore problems while they fester and grow, just because we don't quite know how to deal with them. I thank you.