Civil Society South Africa (CSSA) says the latest crime statistics once again confirm what millions of South Africans experience every day: violent crime is out of control, while the state is increasingly unable to respond to emergencies in time.
According to the Crime Statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year (January to March 2026), South Africa recorded 5 181 murders over the three-month period, averaging 58 murders per day. During the same period, there were 6 916 attempted murders, 43 576 cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), as well as 36 085 cases of armed robbery. This includes home robberies, business robberies, carjackings, and truck hijackings.
“Every one of these statistics is a reminder that violent crime happens in real time, while police response often happens afterwards,” said Reece Clark, spokesperson for Civil Society South Africa. “When someone is attacked, especially inside their own home, there is no time to wait. The ability of law-abiding South Africans to protect themselves should be strengthened and protected, not weakened through proposals to remove self-defence as a valid reason for firearm ownership.”
CSSA says the crime figures stand in direct contradiction to ongoing attempts by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and government to limit civilian self-defence rights through proposed amendments to firearm legislation.
The proposed Firearms Control Amendment Bill previously included plans to remove self-defence as a valid reason for firearm ownership. Although the Bill has not yet been finalised, CSSA warns that the thinking behind such proposals remains extremely dangerous in a country already burdened by severe levels of violent crime.
“The state cannot acknowledge that violent crime is out of control while simultaneously trying to weaken the public’s ability to protect themselves,” said Clark. “No police officer can be present in every home, on every farm, on every road, or at every attack. South Africans are constantly told to trust the system, while that same system openly admits that it is overloaded and under pressure.”
CSSA emphasised that lawful firearm ownership and responsible self-defence are not threats to public safety, but essential parts of it. According to the organisation, ordinary citizens are often the real first responders during violent incidents, especially in rural areas and communities where emergency assistance does not arrive quickly enough.
“The right to self-defence is a practical necessity in a country where violent crime has become part of daily life,” Clark added. “When law-abiding citizens face greater barriers to protecting themselves, decent people become more vulnerable, while violent criminals continue targeting victims without any regard for the law.”
Civil Society South Africa says government should focus its efforts on improving policing capacity, increasing conviction rates for violent offenders, combating illegal firearms, and restoring trust in the criminal justice system, rather than placing further pressure on lawful firearm owners.
“South Africans deserve to be safe,” said Clark. “Until the state can guarantee that safety in practice, it has no moral right to further limit the public’s ability to protect themselves and their families.”
Soundbite: https://civilsocietysouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/CSSA-Violent-crime-proves-South-Africans-cannot-be-disarmed-and-left-defenceless.mp3
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