In South Africa Thousands make their voices heard over proposed Firearms Control Amendment Bill

With the deadline for public comment on the Firearms Control Amendment Bill approaching, thousands of South Africans have made their voices heard regarding the proposed bill.

The bill was published in the government gazette late last month and sparked fierce debate.

Among other things, the proposed bill indicates that applicants applying for a firearm should provide a valid reason and that no licences will be issued to civilians for self-defence purposes.Members of the public have until Friday to comment.

TimesLIVE ran a poll recently asking if banning civilians from using firearms in self-defence was the right move. The poll garnered over 9,000 votes with 96.6% of voters saying no to the move.