Q&A with SAPS general and top Western Cape detective Jeremy Vearey on gun law

Will this reduce gun-related crime?

At the moment, the certification process is entirely flawed. We have false firearm competency certificates that are issued; almost all gang leaders get licences, firstly.

Does the bill adequately address these flaws?

Yes, in the sense of its objects. It must be implemented properly. If it focuses on tightening the requirements that I consider valid, such as the certification process in the licensing applications. All of our gangsters have false licences and purchase a large amount of ammunition.

Will making it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to own guns reduce the proliferation of guns in the hands of gangsters?

It will contribute to enabling, if the law is tightened, the closure of loopholes that would assist in police investigations tremendously. It would limit corruption within the CFR (Central Firearms Register) environment.

How will it limit corruption in this environment if the CFR is controlled by the SAPS, which, as we’ve been learning, is riddled with corruption?

In the history of this country we have never really limited corruption within the CFR.

So aren’t you being a bit naive about this bill doing so?

The CFR shouldn’t be within the SAPS. If you ask me about that part of the amendment bill, that is the thing I object to. Because there is a proven record of failure in the SAPS in handling this register. We consistently have corruption coming from there. My proposal would be to take it away from the police. I believe it should be placed in the hands of provincial government or local municipalities.

How much faith can we have in their capacity to run anything without corruption?

Let’s not make a distinction between this registry and, for example, licensing of vehicles. Where municipal or provincial or any outside-of-the-police structures manage those registries, they manage them better and with less corruption than the police. They’ve proved themselves more hardy in withstanding attacks from corrupt quarters.

Would you really want Ekurhuleni and Cat Matlala in charge of a firearms registry?

You know the saying, ‘One swallow doesn’t make a summer.’ What you’re talking about is not endemic. It’s not endemic in the Western Cape. One thing that is central to everything is: take this away from the police. The age of us thinking we can put our faith in centralised regulation of firearms is past. Regulation should be mandatory, but administration and decision-making should be devolved.

If the ultimate aim is to reduce gun violence, are you saying this bill falls short in critical areas?

It attempts to address some risks posed by gaps in the system. But if we’re talking about reducing gun violence, it’s not a law on its own that does that. You might have the most marvellous laws, but if you don’t have the capability to address it then you can forget about it. In this country, gun violence and gun proliferation is of such a scale that you need a specialised firearms investigation unit.

Why was it closed down? It was highly effective, wasn’t it?

It was. And then came the whole broad sweep disbanding of the unit.