South Africans could soon lose their right to protect themselves under proposed changes in the leaked draft Firearms Control Amendment Bill (FCAB 2025).

The controversial Bill, previously scrapped in 2021 following public outrage and quietly revived last year, has resurfaced in the public domain. If passed, FCAB 2025 will amend the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000).

According to Shaun Lyle, trustee of the South African Gunowners’ Association (Saga), the draft, compiled by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) and the Civilian Secretariat for Police (CSOP), represents an attack on law-abiding citizens, designed to mask the state’s systemic failures.

“It’s irrational, illogical and unworkable. These proposals won’t protect the public, they’ll only undermine safety for everyone except political elites and criminals,” Lyle said.

“It’s a political and ideological project that targets responsible, lawful citizens while ignoring gang networks, police corruption and a collapsing Saps firearm control system.”

Lyle, a member of the Ballito Defensive Sports Shooting Club, confirmed that although the draft has not been formally gazetted, its authenticity is verified and available on Saga’s website.

Lyle believes the draft Bill seeks to:

• Remove self-defence as a legitimate reason to own a firearm unless under “exceptional circumstances.”
• Limit ammunition to 100 rounds per firearm.
• Increase regulation of private security firms.
• Expand ministerial discretion in firearm policy.
• Add further administrative red tape.
• Restrict sport shooters and hunters.

A 2018 Small Arms Survey report estimated South Africa had 5.4 million firearms, three million legal and 2.35 million unregistered. Saga now believes the number of illegal guns could be as high as four million, citing smuggling, theft, and poor police oversight.

Lyle said the Bill ignores:

• Firearms lost or stolen from police armouries and evidence rooms.

• Police officers supplying weapons to gangs.

• Lack of firearm trafficking prosecutions.

“Saga is not anti-regulation. But there is no anti-corruption enforcement and Nedlac has no constitutional mandate to draft legislation. This is not evidence-based policy. It is unconstitutional and not in the public interest.”

Nedlac and the Civilian Secretariat for Police declined to comment.

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DA MP Ian Cameron, chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police, called the draft “one of the most dangerous assaults yet on South Africans’ right to safety and self-defence.”

“This is not a gun control problem. It’s a government control problem. The aim is to disarm citizens and the private sector.”

Frank Labidi, CEO of IPSS Security, also slammed the amendment proposals to the Private Security Industry Regulation Act introduced by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu earlier this year.

“It’s an absolutely absurd and insane proposal,” said Labidi.

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