Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) director Adele Kirsten says that South Africa has a gun epidemic, which is preventable.
She was reacting to news of a shooting at a tavern in Orlando West, Soweto in the early hours of Sunday morning, where the death toll has risen to 15 after one more victim died. 23 patrons were shot by a group of armed men.
Police say the motive for the shooting is still unknown.
Kirsten added that corruption also adds to the problem of easy access to guns.
“We have a gun epidemic, it’s shocking, it’s tragic and it’s preventable. And so the key issue, what we’re not doing is we’re not reducing the pool of guns that are available. Where do these guns come from? They were all once legal, they come from the legal pool. There are a number of sources of weapons, there are a number of ways in which illegal guns move from the legal market, into the illicit market,” says Kirsten.
[Developing story]:15 people shot dead at a Soweto tavern
Bringing back a post from a few months ago, as this disturbing pattern continues. #gunsoffourstreets pic.twitter.com/QzmXkypeli
— Gun Free SA (@GunFreeSA) July 4, 2022
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