The Democratic Alliance has called for the immediate withdrawal of proposed amendments to firearms legislation and private security regulations, arguing that the measures will weaken South Africa’s ability to fight crime whilst punishing lawful gun owners.

Ian Cameron, DA deputy spokesperson on police, said on Wednesday that both the Firearms Control Amendment Bill and proposed PSIRA regulation amendments should be scrapped and reconsidered entirely.

The call comes as government reportedly spent around R600 million on security measures linked to 30 June events, relying heavily on metro police, private security companies, community policing forums, neighbourhood watches and farm watches to maintain safety.

“The events around 30 June again showed what communities already know: SAPS cannot fight violent crime alone,” Cameron said.

Private security faces new regulatory burden

The proposed PSIRA regulation amendments, gazetted on 28 March 2025, would impose additional requirements on private security providers regarding the issuing, carrying, storage, tracking and use of firearms and weapons.

According to the DA, these amendments risk duplicating existing firearm controls, increasing operational costs and weakening armed response capacity in high-risk environments.

Cameron raised concerns about PSIRA’s ability to implement new regulations, citing governance issues, corruption allegations, leadership instability and regulatory overreach within the organisation.

Firearm bill rejected by majority at NEDLAC

The Firearms Control Amendment Bill has drawn criticism from multiple sectors. It was rejected by the majority of participants in the NEDLAC process, and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service recently admitted in Parliament that the bill may require reconsideration.

Critics argue that the bill focuses on lawful firearm owners whilst criminals continue to operate with illegal weapons. The legislation would affect sport shooters, hunters, collectors and security companies, whilst placing additional strain on the already struggling Central Firearms Register.

Focus should be on criminals, not lawful citizens

The DA maintains that South Africa’s crime crisis stems from weak crime intelligence, overstretched detectives, forensic delays, SAPS firearm losses, an inefficient Central Firearms Register and poor consequence management for violent offenders.

“South Africa needs every lawful partner in the fight against crime,” Cameron said. “The criminals are the problem.”

The party argues that government should focus on fixing SAPS, targeting illegal firearms, supporting lawful self-defence and working with communities rather than imposing additional regulations on compliant citizens and industries.

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