South African gun control activist shot - 18th January 2004

**Craig** · 09-03-2010, 02:27

Thank you from Thembani Dyule

Dear All,

I would like to send my greatest appreciation to all at the IANSA members and Networks for the support you have given me when I was in hospital. It's a great pleasure to have survived the attack, and I thank you all for the support and encouragement you have given me, that made me much stronger. I also thank God through all.

I am much better now, but still working with a physiotherapist as my right arm was affected by the bullet wound behind my ear. I am trying my best to use it, though I cannot write well now. My hand feels a bit numb, I cannot move my right hand fingers fast but I'm doing some exercises with the therapist and it is helping.

I am very grateful for all the support. Lots of love to you all. Many thanks

Thembani Dyule
Gun Free South Africa
Western Cape

On 11 December we received this report from our colleagues at Gun Free South Africa:

'Just to let you and the IANSA network know that one of GFSA's fieldworkers from Cape Town was shot last night. His name is Thembani Dyule. A wonderful, dynamic and committed young man. He was taking his girlfriend home when some youths (he estimates they were under 17 years of age) attempted to hijack his car. This was in Nyanga, a township near Cape Town. They were unsuccessful in the hijacking but shot him twice, once in the shoulder and the other in his head. He has been very lucky with the gun shot to his head - it entered just below his ear and skimmed along the side of his face exiting just above his eye. It seems at this stage that only soft tissue damage has been sustained in the head wound. We are uncertain about the extent of the damage to his arm from the bullet to his shoulder. He is in good medical care and still in ICU. Everyone in the organisation is a bit shocked and feeling vulnerable - a reminder of the risks we take every day in this country.'

On 16 December we received this from GFSA:

A quick update on Thembani. We have just spoken to him on his mobile in hospital. He sounds cheery and just feeling very lucky to be alive. He is already out of ICU since the weekend and doing well. He expects to leave hospital already this Thursday and will go for some follow up. He says he still cannot move his fingers in his right hand that well but will be getting physio soon. He is recovering well. He has received many of the messages from IANSA and is extremely touched and appreciative of the support from the international community of small arms activists. Thank you for your solidarity and quick action - from all of us at GFSA.

http://www.iansa.org/about/thembani/index.htm

**MyLani** · 09-03-2010, 06:15

Can anyone confirm this, or is it just normal GFSA BS?

**b20** · 09-03-2010, 07:00

What really ticks me off is that they try and use this as proof as to why we should not be allowed to own firearms. IF this story is true, and that's a big IF, it just shows that these assholes will shoot you for absolutely no reason, hence the need for you to be able to effectively protect yourself.

Being a defencless flippin target just makes it easier for you to be a victim.

If only these tree-hugging GFSA liberal morons could just open their eyes and stop sensationalising everything.

Sorry...feeling pretty vulnerable today

**Bushboy** · 09-03-2010, 07:03

This should have been a eureka moment for him. Surely he realises now that playing the good little victim isnt so cool?

**Paul** · 09-03-2010, 07:22

Originally Posted by Bushboy

This should have been a eureka moment for him. Surely he realises now that playing the good little victim isnt so cool?

Sustaining 'soft tissue' damage in the head would have prevented him from taking the obvious lesson from this encounter...

I guess it's the ballistic equivalent of being dropped on your head as a baby.

**Thorkind** · 09-03-2010, 08:01

Originally Posted by Bushboy

Surely he realises now that playing the good little victim isnt so cool?

It isn't fashionable to fight back nowadays. No, we're way too enlightened for such barbarism. We should appeal to our attackers human nature and bond with them. After all, they're just misguided products of an oppressive regime. I'm sure they'll be eager to hear what we have to say.

**camouflage762** · 09-03-2010, 08:03

Now he is a martyr for the cause.
Is he still working for gfsa?

**wrm** · 09-03-2010, 10:27

He's still around. Joseph Dube, another Crossroads stalwart, also gets into violent confrontations all the time, and his sister was also shot.

They *like* being victims.

Search the SAFF and SALGO archives for more history.

Originally Posted by news24

12/02/2009 11:58 AM - (SA)
Teaching children about a gun free society
REYANA STEYN

THE learners of four schools in the Western Cape were introduced to the “Igun Iflop” workshop – a project aimed at ending school violence – on Thursday last week.

The “Igun Iflop”, meaning gun sucks, is an initiative between Gun Free South Africa – a non-government organisation and the Department of Community Safety (DoCS) and took place at Phoenix High School in Manenberg.

Phoenix High School, Cedar High School in Mitchell’s Plain, Sizimisele High School in Khayelitsha and Oscar Mpetha High School in Nyanga were identified by the DoCS in consultation with the Safer Schools project to participate in the project as there have been incidents of gun violence reported at the schools before. Thirty five Grade 10 learners from each school were chosen to participate.

Thembani Dyule, project coordinator of Gun Free South Africa Western Cape, says the workshop is the start of a three-month project.

“The project is looking at grooming learners to lead a positive life, and reducing the number of guns and incidents of gun related violence in schools and communities. Gun Free South Africa works with partner organisations, which are the Alternative to Violence Project and South African Youth Ministers’ Project. Learners will attend training in different programmes, and will be given certificates at the end of the project.”

Gun Free South Africa has done a baseline questionnaire with participating learners to get an understanding and look at their experience and views regarding guns and drugs within the school environment. Some of the questions included: Have learners ever used a gun?, What are their feelings about guns?, Should school be a gun free place? Have they seen anyone die as a result of gun being used?

At the workshop learners participated in an act of drama, portraying their experiences of guns and drugs in school and the environment in which they live.

Dyule says it was good to get learners involved. “We let the children do what they wanted to, and we got to see what they go through in their lives.”

She added this workshop is the start of good things to come for the learners and the results will show in the end.

Shafiek Abrahams, principal of Phoenix High School says, “This project will be beneficial for the learners of all the schools in the long run. At school we always concentrate on how the learners can benefit academically, but this will help the learners to embark on better things and not get involved in wrong activities.

“This project will also be implemented across the entire school, as learners will then inform other learners about what they know.”

**andy_760901** · 09-03-2010, 10:50

i am sorry, but what rationale dictates that if you are to be had at the mercy of thugs, it is better to be unarmed just in case they decide to attack you. As men, some of you would have attended all boys schools where predatory bullies were prevalent. One thing is universal, and there is a parallel here to be seen. We agree these muggers killer and hi-jackers are all cowards, that prey on the weaker...

And in school, who was it that the bullied used to pick on, the little ones, or the cowards or those refusing to fight back. I have seen first hand a bully be put in his place never to bother his victim of countless acts of beating and indignity when the "victim" decided to hit back, bullies, like criminals do not like opposition or retaliation. a coward will be tormented by the same sadistic bully, that will pick on him his whole school career, but would not dare insult a more worthy advisory and avoid it at all costs. Like this chap for example, shame on him, i hope that he never has a family, for his family's sake. God says thou shall not kill, and he also says damned be the man who does not protect his family. I just read a PDF document which ill not post on here that i recieved via email about boycotting the 2010 world cup, in there, the last few pages showed some images i still can not get out of my head, where farm attackers were left to torture and kill and rape and beat innocent woman and children, yes children, little loving innocent children. It made me sick to my stomach, and i have seen some bad things in my time, disgusting acts that can only be described as pure evil, as nothing found in nature is so cruel as this. Purely for the gratification of the attackers at what can only be described as the worst acts committed to other human beings. I say if he chooses to be the victim so be it, it is his choice andhis funeral, and as they say, he was lucky, next time he may not be so lucky, if he is too retarded and chooses to be the high school victim of bullies, then let him die a thousand deaths like all of the other cowards that believed that it was better to be beaten every day of their school lives to no end, rather then throw a punch in self defense, for fear of what getting a beating, ha, they would get it anyways. and thats what this chap is to me, a coward, too scared to defend his god given right to life. I think that he is lower then an insect, as even an insect shall die trying to protect what it holds valuable. shame on the criminal, no i say shame on the victim, there would be no bullies if the world had no cowards. Ill carry my gun none the less, and i will shoot and kill if neccesary to defend myself against an unlawful attack, and i invite any would be attacker to try to invade my house to kill my child and wife, you will have to kill me dead, because if u do not, it will be me standing over your dead cold body, and try to hurt my family and you will see me go on like an enraged demon from hell. Rather pick a GFSA residence, your sure to come across as many cowards as there are residents of that house.