Chairperson, my hon Deputy Minister, colleagues and committee members, there are people who believe that there are always plenty of reasons not to take a decision. They have plenty of reasons to wait for more information or to wait for more options or even to wait for more opinions.
Fortunately, the majority of us, as leaders, display a consistent bias for action because of the call that was made by many of our South Africans that there are many licensed and even unlicensed firearms in the country. We had to take action. It is on this basis that, as a committee, we deemed it fit and proper that, even when we were somewhere down there in the Free State, we had to meet and discuss this Bill in the best interests of all South Africans.
Having said this, I must thank the departments represented by Dr Jacobs. I must thank Dr Jacobs for being such a humble person, dedicated and ready to serve all South Africans. If we can have many Dr Jacobses in this country, we will go very far. That is the reason this Bill is here before this House. As the Deputy Minister has already stated, when Parliament passed the principal Act - that is the Firearms Control Act of 2000 - we omitted to include the muzzle-loader and even the silencer.
In this Bill we also define professional hunters, dispossessions, fit and proper persons, etc. This is done to make sure that there is consistency between this Bill and the principal Act. In that clause, we are just doing what we call "a cleaning exercise."
Allow me to quote one of my committee members on what he said during our deliberations on this Bill down there in the Free State:
The very licensed firearms that are possessed by many of us ... there is a possibility that one day they'll end up being unlicensed firearms because they land in wrong hands.
None other than the hon Chris Ntuli said this when he was trying to bring the message home to those who had not seen the light as yet. And I'm happy that it really made sense because once he made that statement, the debate subsided.
There are those who are saying that we are disarming law-abiding citizens through this Bill. It is not true. What we are doing is to make sure that a person owns one firearm for self-protection and the other one either for professional hunting or sports purposes. Why do you need so many firearms to protect yourself? It doesn't make sense. If you want to own many firearms as well, the law allows you to do that but you have to apply. And if you are a fit and proper person, you'll be licensed. But you have to state reasons why you want many firearms rather than one.
There are those who want to have many firearms because they are private hunters or collectors, etc. This is allowed by this Bill. There are those who need these firearms for other reasons. As government, we would be abdicating our duties to allow those kinds of things.
There are those who attach such sentiment to their firearms that they can't part with them. In this Bill, what we are saying is that you must follow the normal process of making sure that your firearm is deactivated or dismantled. You still own it because you are not going to use it to shoot anything but you just want it for its sentimental value. That's it. And this Bill says, "Yes, you can do that." There is no fuss about it. Who can oppose those kinds of arrangements concerning this Bill?
Go nale bao ba rego mmu?o wo ga o t?ee magato go leka go fedi?a boganka le bo kebekwa mo nageng. Bare go na le dibet?a t?e nt?hi t?eo e lego gore mmu?o ga o di hlokomele.Ke leka go feti?a gore ge batho ba lla bare go nale dibet?a t?e nt?hi mo nageng, bjale ka mmu?o re t?ere magato a gore dibet?a t?eo di tloge matsogong a batho bao di fedi?we.Ka Moloakakanywa wo ke seo se diregago. Sa go makat?a ke gore ba lla gore dibet?a ke t?e nt?i kua matsogong a sego a swenela. Ge mmu?o o di t?ea ba a lla gape bare o seke wa di t?ea. Nare ba nyakang batho ba? (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)
[There are people who complain that the government is not taking any measures against fraud and corruption in this country. They say that there are a lot of illegal weapons that the government is not even doing anything about. I am trying to ignore the fact that people are complaining about the many illegal weapons, while the government has appealed to the people to hand them over so that they can be destroyed as proposed by this Bill. What is surprising is that people complain about the many illegal weapons and they complain again when the government takes them away from them. What is it exactly that these people want?]
As the ANC-led government, we can't be like those bad managers who work very long hours thinking that that is a brand of heroism, not realising that their action is just a hallmark of incompetence. It is high time for all of us to walk the talk. Those who live in glass houses must dress properly.
A re tlogeleng dilo t?a go se sepele ka tsela gore molao wo o phase ka gore batho ba a o nyaka. Ga re ganet?e motho go ba le sebet?a, feela go nyakega gore se be molaong, ke moka.
Mohlomphegi Motlat?atona o ?et?e a bolet?e taba t?e nt?hi mo, nkase boelet?e.
Bjale wena ka bo wena, ke kabelo efe yeo o tlago go e raloka gore o thu?e set?haba gore molao wo o phase naa? Batho ba le lebelet?e. Ge o gana gore molao wo o phase gora gore o nyaka gore dikebeka di t?wele pele ka go ?omi?a dibet?a t?eo di sego molaong. (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)
[Let us abstain from unbecoming behaviour so that this Bill can be passed, because it is what the people want. We do not have a problem with someone owning a weapon as long as it is legal and that's it.
The hon Deputy Minister has already mentioned a couple of things here and there is no need for me to repeat them. Now the question is: What role are you going to play to help get the Bill passed? People are watching you. If you are against this Bill being passed, it means you want the criminals to carry on using illegal weapons.]
Colleagues, once more, we have done it. I know it was not easy but we managed. It is worth it. And I'm proud to say that, with this kind of team, we can move mountains. Let me thank you for your contributions, motivations, deliberations and dedication. We are what we are and where we are because we first imagined it.
While it is good enough to leave footprints in the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure that they are pointing in a commendable direction.
With these words ... ... ke re Molaokakanywa wo ke wa rena. Ao phase, batho ba o emet?e - ba a o nyaka. Morena. [... I say that this is our Bill. It has to be passed. The people are desperately waiting for it - they want it, sir.]