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The Bill on Dangerous Weapons was published in the Government Gazette and interested parties have until 2 October 2011 to submit their comments on it. The Bill defines what a dangerous weapon is, deals with the trade in toy guns, air guns, BB-guns and paintball guns. The Bill stipulates that anyone found in possession of these guns or a dangerous weapon in certain circumstances which creates suspicion, can be arrested and can be handed a sentence of up to three years in jail.

“This Bill has far-reaching implications and nearly any object, from a pocket-knife to a stone is viewed as a dangerous weapon. It gives powers to the Police to arrest people left, right and centre. It will furthermore seriously hamper the paint-ball industry and various forms of Eastern Martial Arts. The fact that one cannot use self-defence as a defence makes the Bill unconstitutional,” Mr. Pieter Groenewald (MP), chief spokesperson on Police for the Freedom Front Plus says.

“The Firearms Act allows one to carry one’s firearm on his/her person, but it has to be covered, but section 2(3) of this Bill determines that one cannot carry a knife in a sheath on my person and state that is for self-defence purposes. There is nearly 400-500 thousand people in the paint ball industry and more than a million in the Eastern Martial Arts industry. Various self-defence instruments are used in these martial arts. Clubs, batons, pepper spray and anything which can be used to injure another is defined as a dangerous weapon. Should a woman walk with pepper spray late at night and the Police stops her, she cannot claim it to be for self-defence purposes and she can therefore be arrested. The Bill is to say the least absurd and interest groups should urgently submit their objections in writing,” Groenewald said.