Gun violence – South Africa’s neglected public health emergency

Authors

  • D Peacock Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Global Coalition for WHO Action on Firearm Violence
  • P Navsaria Trauma Centre, Groote Schuur Hospital and Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • C Taylor Gun Free South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2026.v116i5.4945

Keywords:

Firearm violence, HVIPs, gun control, intervention to prevention continuum, health systems impact.

Abstract

-

References

1. Ramaphosa C. State of the Nation Address. Pretoria: The Presidency, 2026.

2. Matzopoulos R, Prinsloo M, Bradshaw D, Abrahams N. Reducing homicide through policy

interventions: The case of gun control. S Afr Med J 2019;109(11b):63-68. https://doi.org/10.7196/

SAMJ.2019.v109i11b.14222

3. South African Police Service. Police recorded crime statistics Republic of South Africa 2023/2024 financial year: Annual figures (April 2023 to March 2024). Pretoria: SAPS, 2024.

4. Civilian Secretariat for Police Service. Analysis of the effect of the Firearms Control Act on crime, 2000 - 2014. Pretoria: Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, 2015.

5. Abrahams N, Mathews S, Martin LJ, Lombard C, Jewkes R. Femicide in South Africa: A comparison of female homicide in 1999, 2009 and 2017. S Afr Med J 2024;114(3):168-176. https://doi.org/10.7196/ SAMJ.2024.v114i3.17342

6. Vetten L. Losing liberty and life: Firearms and domestic violence in South Africa. Johannesburg: Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2025.

7. Semenza DC, Kravitz-Wirtz N. Gun violence exposure and population health inequality: A conceptual framework. Inj Prev 2025;31(1):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-045197

8. Bellis MA, McManus S, Hughes K, Adisa O, Ford K. The commercial determinants of violence: Identifying opportunities for violence prevention through a public health-based framework analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2024;21(3):352. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21030352

9. Minister of Safety and Security v South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association (2018) ZACC 14.

10. Bowman B, Kramer S, Salau S, Matzopoulos R. Trends, correlates, and contexts of robbery-homicide in South Africa. Homicide Stud 2024;28(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/10887679211070237

11. Ward CL, Lombard CJ, Gwebushe N. Critical incident exposure in South African emergency services personnel: Prevalence and associated mental health issues. Emerg Med J 2006;23(3):226-231. https:// doi.org/10.1136/emj.2005.024174

12. Caribbean Public Health Agency. Caribbean community implementation agency for crime and security. Small arms survey. Pathway to policy initiative report. Port of Spain: CARPHA, 2025.

13. Ribeiro AP, Souza ER, Sousa CAM. Injuries caused by firearms treated at Brazilian urgent and emergency healthcare services [Lesões provocadas por armas de fogo atendidas em serviços de urgência e emergência brasileiros]. Cien Saude Colet 2017;22(9):2851-2860. https://doi. org/10.1590/1413-81232017229.16492017

14. Mueller M, Chapman-Kramer KMSW, Cooper B, et al. A regional approach to hospital-based violence intervention programs through LOV. J Pub Health Managem Pract 2023;29(3):306-316. https://doi. org/10.1001/10.1097/PHH.0000000000001716

15. Matzopoulos R, Cornell M, Bowman B, Martin LJ, Jewkes R, Abrahams N. South Africa’s male homicide epidemic: Who is killing men and why do we ignore the victims? AJOL 2025;21(3/4). https:// doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2025/18875

16. Peacock D, Nowakowska AE, Lilli C, et al. Tracking the World Health Organization’s attention to firearm violence, 2000-2025. Global Coalition for WHO Action on Firearm Violence, 2025.

Downloads

Published

2026-06-02

Issue

Section

Editorials

How to Cite

1.
Peacock D, Navsaria P, Taylor C. Gun violence – South Africa’s neglected public health emergency. S Afr Med J [Internet]. 2026 Jun. 2 [cited 2026 Jun. 3];116(5):e4945. Available from: https://www.samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/view/4945

Most read articles by the same author(s)