Farmers in South Africa should be deeply concerned about the government’s proposed amendments to the Firearms Control Act. Unless the amendment bill is challenged, farmers risk finding themselves legally disarmed and without adequate protection.
By Lloyd Phillips, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
Criminals are the least likely to comply with, or be meaningfully affected by, the proposed Firearms Control Amendment Bill of 2025, which seeks to amend the Firearms Control Act of 2000 (Act 60 of 2000). If it were to be enacted into law, it will leave farmers and other law-abiding citizens living or working in rural communities – whether or not they own firearms – largely at the mercy of the country’s many criminals, many of whom are armed or have access to firearms.
Douw Pelser, a farmer and hunting outfitter in Lephalale, Limpopo, and chairperson of Agri Limpopo’s Rural Safety Committee, has been attending dialogues on the proposed amendments hosted by the National Economic Development and Labour Council.
“The stuff that [proposers and supporters] of the amendments are saying at these meetings is alarming,” he says. “Some of the views expressed are very dangerous for the rest of us. They literally want to disarm us.”
Also read: Firearms legislation: ‘We reject disarming law-abiding citizens’ – AgriSA/TLU SA
‘We Need to Wake Up’
“What also scares me,” Pelser says, “is that probably 70% of our farmers in this country don’t even know what’s in these amendments or how severely they could be affected by them. People are not informed. We all need to wake up quickly and unite against what the government is trying to implement here.”
Pelser completely disagrees with amendments that unfairly disadvantage law-abiding firearm owners, whether their firearms are for self-defence, commercial purposes such as hunting, or used as essential tools on farms. He believes the amendments should instead be specifically targeted at the criminals who steal, trade in and misuse firearms and ammunition.
He notes that the existing Firearms Control Act already prohibits many activities, for example, citizens carrying firearms unconcealed, being in possession of certain categories of firearms and ammunition, and storing and using firearms incorrectly. Due to ineffectual policing, however, these prohibitions are often not enforced. This, in turn, results in politicians, authorities and sections of the public demanding even stricter laws that fail to distinguish between compliant firearm owners and criminals.
Furthermore, Pelser argues that if current legislation is already poorly enforced, there is no reason to believe the proposed amendments will suddenly lead to better enforcement.
“The police lose hundreds of firearms every year, and there are rarely consequences for those responsible. But if a private, law-abiding firearm owner makes one mistake, they risk losing all their firearms, ammunition and licenses.”
Pelser also questions the government’s handling of illegal weapons entering the country. “Container loads of illegal semi-automatic and automatic weapons, like AK-47s, are being smuggled into South Africa. Why aren’t the authorities succeeding in stopping those?”
Also read: Kroonstad firearms theft: ‘They could arm criminals against our farmers’ – Free State Agriculture
What Farmers Are Saying
Various farmers interviewed by African Farming have confirmed that firearms are an essential part of their farming operations, even for those who do not personally own any. Many farmers rely on private security personnel who carry firearms to protect farmers, workers and property. These private security companies, too, could be severely affected by the proposed amendments.
A KwaZulu-Natal farmer, who asked not to be named, describes the proposed amendments as “totally absurd”, and says they would “cut our throats and hack off our hands”.
“I think it’s a political move to disarm us. If this becomes law, it will lead to even more lawlessness.”
The farmer says that he, his manager and the manager’s wife all legally carry firearms for self-defence. About 10 years ago, he was attacked in his farmhouse, violently assaulted and robbed. He believes that, had he been carrying his firearm at the time, he might have been able to prevent the assault, his physical and emotional injuries, and the loss of his property.
“It was truly a situation where I needed my firearm,” he says. “We now carry our firearms everywhere, even to church, because we feel vulnerable without them. We often work late at night on the farm. We know that criminals, who these days all carry firearms, start fires to lure us out of our houses. They also shoot at us when we try to stop our livestock from being stolen or when we are tracking stolen animals.
“It’s not as if farmers want to carry firearms all the time. It’s because the police provide no real protection. You have to look after your farm and yourself. With these proposed amendments, how does the government expect us farmers to produce food when we constantly feel we cannot protect ourselves in our homes, on our farms, in our own areas and in the country?”
Also read:
