Six industry bodies fight PSiRA draft firearm regulations gazetted by the police minister

Draft amendments to the private security industry firearms regulations were gazetted on 28 March 2025 by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, with public comment open until 25 April 2025, Engineering News reported.

Six industry bodies formally opposed the draft: the South African National Security Employers Association, the Security Association of South Africa, the National Security Forum, the Consolidated Employers Organisation, the Association of Private Security Owners of South Africa, and the Locksmith Association of South Africa. Specialist firearms attorney Martin Hood of MJ Hood and Associates was engaged to submit formal opposition to PSiRA.

The coalition warned the amendments would "seriously undermine the stability and effectiveness of the private security industry, and by extension, the safety of South African citizens".

The draft confines semi-automatic rifles to narrow scenarios such as cash-in-transit, critical infrastructure protection and anti-poaching, restricts armed officers at venues including malls, schools, churches and hospitals, and imposes a blanket prohibition on rubber bullets, water cannons and Tasers without PSiRA approval.

PSiRA denied the regulations amount to a firearms ban or ammunition limit, saying officers must receive a "reasonable quantity" of ammunition - a term critics including the SA Gun Owners Association say is undefined. The private security sector employs approximately 543,000 registered active officers and is valued at an estimated R50 billion.

"If these regulations are promulgated, it will result in massive job losses and will put the safety of the public at risk," said Steve Conradie, National Chairperson of the National Security Forum.

Source: Engineering News, 16 April 2025 - engineeringnews.co.za (PSiRA response: defenceweb.co.za)