Gun violence a serious concern in SA- Amnesty International
Amnesty International says the government is failing in its constitutional duty, as communities in KwaZulu-Natal are reeling from a recent spate of killings.
The organisation issued a statement following a mass shooting in Pietermarizburg on Friday.
"In less than a week, we’ve seen the killing of Loyiso Nkohla in Cape Town, the reported mass murder of ten family members in Pietermaritzburg, and the murder and mutilation of two young boys in Soweto, and these are only the murders that have been widely reported on,” it said.
“According to the latest quarterly crime statistics an average of 82 people are murdered in South Africa every day."
Ten members of the Memela family were shot execution-style in their home in Imbali.
Amnesty International's spokesperson Mienke Steytler said the government and the police need to take urgent action to protect people.
"The impunity with which killings are carried out is exacerbating the situation and urgent action is needed from the government, including the South African Police Service, who have a duty to protect everyone who lives in this country.”
Steytler said the government cannot allow horrendous crimes like these to continue.
"Gun-related violence threatens our most fundamental human right – the right to life. Easy access to firearms, whether legal or illegal, is one of the main drivers of gun violence."
