Deputy Chairperson, may I take this opportunity to thank the select committee and the members who have supported this Bill and ensured that it comes through to this House. I would also like to thank Kgoshi Mokoena for the stewardship he has shown as he drove the process in ensuring that the difficulties and the various submissions which came to the committee were handled in a way that is responsible and takes this country forward.
I just want to say that we are miles ahead in creating a free and peaceful South Africa through the Firearms Control Amendment Bill today.
In response to hon Worth, may I indicate to you with regard to commandos that we cannot continue living in the past. We have to move on. We are living in a time when we are transforming this country and the majority of commandos have accepted the process of being reintegrated into reservist units. So, you have to bear in mind that you might be the only one who is left behind. So, be careful and be cautioned that as we write our history you are not left behind. But, you can also say to yourself and your future generation that you contributed to the transformation of this country. This is an opportunity. So, don't lose this opportunity given to you at this moment.
The Auditor-General has indicated the number of firearms which went missing from SAPS. But that's precisely what this Bill intends to do because the past dispensation never ever made an effort to follow up on what happened to those firearms. That's exactly what we are doing. We want to take stock and ensure that if any individual possesses a firearm which doesn't belong to him or her, we take necessary measures. So, that's the purpose of this Bill and therefore the issue of firearms lost by our members is part of the process of retrieving them in a way that ensures that we are responsible. I must also say that with regard to one of the issues you are talking about - that we are trying to promote illegal firearms - I don't know how you can regulate illegal firearms. If you can indicate a way we can retrieve illegal firearms, then you might be having a clue how many illegal firearms we have in this country. We will welcome that submission. We would really appreciate your contribution and input in making sure that we retrieve any other arms, including AK-47s and firearms lost to responsible citizens. If you can tell us where to get them, we would appreciate that information.
So, help us in making sure that we can find any illegal firearms in this country because the purpose of making sure that we legalise and request responsible South African citizens to come forward and declare that they've got firearms is precisely to ensure that we take stock as a country and we know who has a firearm and who doesn't. But not only that - we don't end there. We also say that we want to know whether those individuals are still fit to possess firearms. We lose our minds and focus because of various reasons in the processes of our lives. On that basis, this legislation says that we must come back and prove to the law that we are not only responsible citizens still, but that we are also fit to carry firearm licences, hon Worth. That's the reason we want every responsible South African to have his or her licensed firearm reviewed in a particular period.
I must also indicate the issue of us dealing with silencers and muzzlers. This is precisely to ensure that the kinds of people who have those instruments are going to utilise them responsibly. But you can't exercise responsibility when you don't know who has what and who doesn't have what and where to find what. So, the process intends to formalise and regulate an environment of firearms for a better South Africa.
To the hon Van Heerden, may I say that the intention of this Bill is to regulate and ensure that there is no proliferation of arms in our country. I think peace-loving South Africans would prefer an ideal South Africa where we would talk of a gun-free South Africa - that's what we should be striving for and not individuals who sleep with guns under their pillows because they don't understand what's going on in this country. We all wish to sleep with our windows open because we want to sleep peacefully at night without fear. That's the intention of this Bill.
Baba uMzizi, indeed we are talking to the Department of Education with regard to an Act by which they have declared gun-free or weapon-free zones, or drug-free zones, precisely to ensure that our schools are able to have free learning and that our kids are not to be intimidated by any individual who brings any form of arms or weapon into the schools. But as Safety and Security, currently we are continuously engaging in finding a way of addressing the violence which has engulfed our schools in such a way that our kids can learn in a better environment. It's one of the issues we are dealing with. We hope we will continuously address that until we are successful.
May I take this opportunity to say that this Bill calls upon all responsible South Africans to be responsible owners of guns. With regard to those who are unfit, as the hon Ntuli indicated, it's not for the Minister to appeal for a person who has been arrested and declared by the court not to be free to be given a gun again. We know the implications of that. If any individual wants to go through the legal processes of this country, they will have to deal with that particular aspect in a way that will ensure that the Department of Safety and Security, as is happening currently, is not going to be litigated against because they acted irresponsibly.
I agree with you that our police will have to make sure that the implementation of this Bill becomes a success. That's part of the process of making sure that we improve our capacity and that we also recruit more police officers to join the force because we believe that it's very important for our members to be disciplined. We also need to make sure that the current situation is such that they are able to execute their responsibilities in a way that meets the demands and the needs of our communities.
Lastly, may I take this opportunity again to thank the select committee through the leadership, as I've indicated, of Kgoshi Mokoena for the humbleness and tolerance they've shown to the departmental team led by Commissioner Jacobs. We hope that this kind of relationship, the guidance and sharing of experiences and making sure that we improve whatever areas are not very strong, continues between the team and our department because this is the only way which will take South Africa forward and make sure that we have a better South Africa and a country which can be loved by every South African. Through such efforts, we will also continue to make sure that South Africa remains a tourist destination, as it is right now.
We are proud of the work done by the committee and the members who have supported us throughout in this particular fashion. This will make our democracy much stronger and mature in a way that is acceptable globally. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.