From the South African Firearm Forum

**wrm** · 10-09-2009, 15:02

Hi All

Assuming that the state will be offering payment at all, a pittance or close to nothing is a firm reality. This appears to may happen in co-operation with organisations representative of your rights. The fact is that the amount of compensation will depend on the amount of noise and discontent that apprehensive and lax firearm owners are prepared to make right now. I suspect that the short term insurance industry model may be adopted with mitigation circumstances if and when such item was specified with excess value. That means if the current replacement market value for Star PD is R3000 such will be calculated minus value reduction of around one third. Accessories, ammo etc. in all probability will not be paid. Possibly many that handed in may not wish to claim of pursue compensation after the fact. You must realise that most legal firearm owners do not acknowledge their right nor defend then thus thereby actually do not deserve them.

I in fact predict that the directive that came from the courts to the government to pay compensation may largely be formulated by the CFR in conjunction with organisations that represent less than 4% of legal firearm owners interest and is prepared to negotiate your rights away, possibly without mandate. The only way such organisations can represent and advise is by means of a survey conducted by at least, say, 50% of members as to what they feel is fair compensation for loss of their property. Instead the minister of finance must confer with the minister of police to determine what is fair. And we all let them get away with it?

Additionally there is interest on property handed in and the most important factor is: If I handed in and now have a defence situation where the firearm handed in could have saved me or someone else: What does one claim (Assuming you are still alive).....How much does one place on a life. It was stated publicly in Paarl that should compensation be paid, the law will fail. More so that the law is a means to test and see how far they can push the infringements of constitutional rights before people notice and appeal.

The time is now to voice your discontent and say your say. If you let this opportunity go, do not ever complain again. For the record as well. The JASA case was initiated by GOSA as per instruction of its EXCO nearly 2 years ago. At the time all organisation representing the around 4% of firearm owners interests were informed and approached for a joint effort. All intentions and requests were turned down without any consideration or deliberations. Even some political parties approached said that GOSA was mad and will never win. On 31 August 2009 a landmark victory was won by the passion that GOSA have pursued since 2004. This is the first time in SA history that an act was stopped so effectively and with so much proof w.r.t. unconstitutional elements imbedded in the FCA.

Unfortunately today many of those that rejected the insanity of GOSA taking the SAPS to court and working on the scrapping of the FCA are claiming involvement and are capitalise on the work done behind the scenes. GOSA never wanted the accolades nor credit, GOSA always pursued the objective of co-operative and cohesive objectives w.r.t. firearm ownership to serve the interests of all legal firearm owners, regardless.

Prime objectives: Scrap the FCA and substitute with something that serves all legal firearm owner, not just those that appear to be in charge and that may pursue an agenda to financially exploit the law.
Maintain the freedom that enables people to choose if they have a desire to acquire and use a legal firearm within the ambit of the law. No Guns = No Defence, No Sport, No Hunting, No Collecting.

Thomas

**camouflage762** · 10-09-2009, 15:35

So what do we do.
What do you want us to do?
;D

**gizmo16** · 10-09-2009, 16:03

All I have done so far is join GOSA, and express my opinion on various forums, including political parties, etc.

I have heard that we must send letters, but to whom? This is the digital age, I am sure we can get hold of some email addresses? I'd rather get behind people like GOSA in terms of donations so that these legal actions can be taken.

I think its good that we join bodies like GOSA, so that we have a collective voice. I think this is the only opportunity we are going to get to fight the FCA. If we don't do anything to respect our own rights, we are going to loose them. Far more important than arguing about specific tastes for a particular gun or accessory on this forum. Soon you may not have anything. People say that firearm ownership has always been under threat, but the FCA is pretty recent, and I am sure there is more insanity to come.

BTW, So far I haven't had any correspondence from joining, hopefully something is in the mail.. who knows ?

**shooter** · 10-09-2009, 17:16

Got my letter from GOSA way quicker than SAGA. Joined at the same time.

**wrm** · 10-09-2009, 18:43

I think the important thing is for as many people as possible to make as much noise as possible.

We need this act audited.

Any government anything has a cost and a benefit to society. We obviously want a benefit to society in return for our tax money.

The Firearms Control Act cost a whack of money. A decent audit will tell us how much.

The Firearms Control Act had some effect on society. A decent audit will tell us whether this was a net benefit or not.

And then you divide the one by the other and decide whether it's a worthwile expenditure of tax money.

So write to parliament, ask for an audit. Write to the newspapers, explain to the readers what I just said. Get people to ask questions.

And yea, this all is difficult. We've been doing it for a decade and more. It does wear you down.

But some day, after everything has gone down, don't come whining to me... your future is in your hands. You get the government you deserve.

**HAREGAT** · 10-09-2009, 20:54

Thomas i am relatively new to the firearm owners game but i must say that after reading a bit of what people put on the posts
i must conclude that there are just to many gunowners out there that talk the talk but are not willing to walk the walk.

I have stated in another post that i am willing to give 3 months salary( of course after all deductions and expenses ;D) to GOSA
to ensure that my rights as a legal gunowner are not trampled apon by the state. Unfortunately we don't all have big bank accounts
but every cent helps to cover costs to GOSA in this fight.

What are the chances of a petition on Gunsite where everyone puts his/her name down and we try to get a couple of hundred thousand
names on and get the media involved as the petition is handed over to minister of safety and security? When people can collect n couple of thousand signatures and have the courts overturn laws ect why can't we???

I do believe that the biggest problem when facing the enemy as in this case is that we as South Africans have never been able to stand together and run the enemy into the ground together.

**wrm** · 11-09-2009, 10:16

Haregat, I posted the above on behalf of Thomas - he's not a member here.

Petitions to the minister are too easy to ignore. Letters to the minister, cc'ed to the opposition and the press, works a lot better :-)

If you tell the minister he's wasting taxpayer's money, he'll shrug. If you tell the PRESS the minister is wasting taxpayer's money, sometimes the minister gives the car back :-)

**abhm** · 11-09-2009, 11:04

Originally Posted by wrm

If you tell the PRESS the minister is wasting taxpayer's money, sometimes the minister gives the car back :-)

hpy194 hpy194 hpy71 hpy194

**HAREGAT** · 11-09-2009, 15:46

wrm you have said some very wise words.

So what about doing the petition and handing it over to the newspaper? Contact old Freek Robertson and get SSP to talk on GS's behalf
after handing over the petition.
How about doing a charity carwash with hot chicks in camo washing cars?? whp Will definitily get the local newspapers something to write about

At the end of the day it all boils down to been heard and noticed by the public and the news makers.

**Rudes** · 11-09-2009, 17:16

@ gizmo16
Writing letters is meant in the widest sense. Snail mail if you still want to, email, SMS, MMS, comments on websites, comments on groups, Tweets, talking to your neighbours, talking to strangers in the queue at the postoffice, etc. Use whatever medium you want but get your pro-gun message out to as many people as you can.
I remember hearing about paul@adventures discussing assault rifle tactics with bewildered strangers at a movie premier hosted by Gun Freek SA in Johannesburg a while ago. What ever floats your boat! lv29

Have a look at http://www.gunownerssa.org/forum/ under the "In the media" section where you will find the contact email addresses of most SA newspaper "letter" sections. Send them an email and tell them how your right to selfdefence is being trampled on by the FCA. Go leave a comment on the Gun Freek SA Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32248864965

We all know that you have to repeat things around 3000 times for it to become instinctive so if we can repeat the saying "guns don't kill, people do" 3000 times in the media some more people will believe it and come around to our correct way of thinking. Thanx for what you have done thus far!

@HAREGAT
The best advise I can give you is JUST DO IT! If you want to start a petition and hand it over to the media, start organising it yourself. If you want a charity carwash with hot chicks, organise it and remember to tell me when and where ;D If you want to donate 3 months salary to GOSA, go ahead and do it. The account details are on the website but for your convenience here it is as well:
GOSA's banking details / WESA se bankrekening :
ABSA Sanbell
Bank code: 632005
Account Number: 4062794170

Oh, and thank you for the donation, it is much appreciated grn1

The bottom line is if each of us do a little bit we can influence public opinion and maybe even change it. We need people that do things not people that wait for others to do it. I strongly believe in rather asking for forgiveness than permission.

@WRM
I think we as gun owners owe you a huge debt of gratitude for all the work you are doing for the cause. Once one starts getting actively involved in the cause you find WRM on this and other forums, in email discussion groups, on Facebook sharing his opinion, in newspaper letter sections, preparing affidavits and then in his spare time he just about single handedly runs the GOSA website including keeping the content up to date. In between all of that he still finds time to play with his rollies and keep his Landies on the road. I don't know where you get the time for all of this but serious respect to you. lv29