Latest news with #Prinsloo
Daily Maverick
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
It's time for accountability and action on South Africa's gun violence crisis
In a country where 33 people are shot dead every single day, gun violence in South Africa has reached levels last seen in the late 1990s. The statistics tell a devastating story: murders have surged by 62% and attempted murders by almost 50% over the past decade, with firearms now the weapon of choice in nearly half of all murders and almost 60% of all attempted murders, while organised crime, empowered by easy access to deadly weapons, flourishes. Almost all the firearms used in South Africa's gun violence crisis are domestically sourced, originating from the state and civilians. Latest data show that civilians reported the loss/theft of 8,452 firearms in the 2023-24 financial year – this number includes 1,648 firearms that were lost/stolen from private security companies, while SAPS reported the loss/theft of 741 service firearms in this time. A crisis of accountability South Africa's gun violence crisis is playing out against a range of violations of our international commitments. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (Untoc), the Southern African Development Community Firearms Protocol, the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and the Arms Trade Treaty, our government is legally committed to maintaining accurate, comprehensive records of firearms within our borders. Yet South African authorities cannot answer a basic question: how many guns are in our country? The Central Firearms Registry (CFR) produces contradictory reports, even for the same year. Our government has further demonstrated its lack of commitment by downgrading its participation in international mechanisms meant to combat these problems. The Untoc review process – a crucial international accountability mechanism – has been outsourced to a junior official, while South Africa hasn't submitted required reports under the UN Small Arms Programme of Action since 2014. The deadly consequences The connection between this record-keeping failure and gun-related violence is clear. Firearms are both enablers and multipliers of violent crime. They were used in 42% of murders and 58% of attempted murders in periods where data were available. With guns increasingly becoming the weapon of choice for criminals, our government's inability to track and control firearms represents a profound national security failure. The infamous case of police Colonel Christiaan Prinsloo illustrates the deadly serious consequences. As custodian of a police armoury, Prinsloo stole 2,000+ firearms marked for destruction and sold them to organised crime groups, feeding violence across communities. In Prinsloo's initial statement to his lawyer, he described how firearms were 'removed from the police computer' before being sold to criminals. Gun Free South Africa's Prinsloo Guns Class Action, instituted on behalf of affected families, is an attempt to get justice by holding the state accountable for failing to safeguard its weapons. A path forward South Africa doesn't lack solutions—it lacks implementation. Here's what must happen: First, we must tighten controls over licensed firearms held by the state and civilians to prevent leakage and criminal use. This includes urgently repairing our broken Central Firearms Registry, because without accurate information on who owns what firearms for which purpose, all other interventions will fail. This requires both technical upgrades and a cultural shift within the institution, which may require a frank discussion about outsourcing (not privatising) functions. Second, we need to focus on enforcing current firearm-related laws and addressing legislative loopholes that are being exploited. The recently published draft regulations to strengthen controls over private security company firearms is a step forward, but we need an urgent amendment to the Firearms Control Act to align it with legal and constitutional developments in South Africa, as well as our global commitments under conventions like the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime's Firearms Protocol. In addition to tightening controls over licensed guns to stop leakage into the illegal pool and criminal use, government must prioritise recovering illegal guns already in circulation. The failure of government's flagship crime-prevention operation Shanela – which uses a broad stop-and-search approach – is evident from firearm recovery numbers, which show marginal increases. Thus, a third urgent action is for government to embrace an intelligence-led approach to gun recovery that includes tracking the origin of reclaimed firearms to close leakage loopholes. Fourth, a national firearms amnesty is essential. Unlike previous amnesties in South Africa, this must implement a 'no questions asked' approach, where the focus is on bringing unlicensed guns back under legal control by encouraging owners to either surrender guns for destruction or, in the case of expired licences, apply for a new licence (as an expired licence cannot be renewed). Finally, civil society must be embraced as an ally by the state because it is here that trust is built around sensitive issues, which include gun ownership. Understanding of and respect for the responsibility of owning a gun, including complying with the law around registration, licensing and use, is shaped by culture and community. These relate to issues of power, safety, security, respect and responsibility, which demand a community-based approach. In this respect, civil society must be treated by government as a critical friend (as described by a panellist at the Constructive Dialogue on Firearms in Vienna on 30 April 2025) that plays a key role in promoting and supporting responsible gun ownership, while also providing independent and useful insight and analysis on gun ownership, use and trafficking. A matter of political will South Africa's gun violence crisis is ultimately a test of political will: Does our government have the courage to confront a small but vocal minority who are vehemently opposed to any gun control interventions? South Africa's own experience is a guide to what needs to be done: Between 2000 and 2010, South Africa's gun death rate halved from 34 to 18 people shot dead a day through a range of gun control interventions, including a focus on recordkeeping, passing and implementing stricter gun legislation, holding a national firearms amnesty, using intelligence to recover firearms and involving civil society as a critical friend. In addition, international frameworks and knowledge exist and can be drawn upon. What's missing is determined implementation and accountability.
TimesLIVE
19-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
MBB attribute slow start to pressure of hosting Basketball Africa playoffs
The Basketball Africa League playoffs to be hosted in South Africa in June have put Made by Ball (MBB), the country's representatives in this week's Nile Conference qualifier in Kigali, Rwanda, under pressure, player Pieter Prinsloo admitted. MBB have suffered two opening losses in the competition and Prinsloo agreed with head coach Sam Vincent that the team were still finding each other after little preparation together. The Gauteng outfit squandered a first-half lead of 47-45 and ended up losing 103-81 to Armée Patriotique Rwandaise at the BK Arena on Sunday evening. With APR and Al Ahli Tripoli winning their first two games, MBB will have to beat Nairobi City Thunder on Tuesday and win another game or two in their last three encounters. That will increase their chances of a wild-card spot. Two of the best third-placed teams will make their way to Pretoria for the playoffs in June. The last spot is occupied by Morocco's FUS Rabat, who won two games in the Kalahari Conference with a points difference of -19. What an electrifying display of BAL action between APR and MBB 🔥. Roll back the tape with our @castlelitesa game recap to savour every game-defining play. #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 18, 2025 'There could be a lot of pressure the guys might be feeling,' Prinsloo, who scored 13 points in the APR game, said. 'We play City Thunder on Tuesday. We have got better from game one and now we have to improve and get our first victory and we can progress from there. 'We are not trying to look too far now, we need to get better day-by-day and face the mistakes we made. 'We understand the playoffs are in South Africa and it is a big thing for us to qualify. Round 2 of the Nile Conference was something else! Here are your Top 5 plays from yesterday 👊 #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 19, 2025 'Our first two games, we understand the mistakes we made. In game two, there are a lot of things we did better and we see that when we play our basketball. 'APR, we were able to beat them in the first half when we played the right way, but you have to play 40 minutes of basketball to be complete.' Vincent again bemoaned his team's inability to close out games but agreed APR's experience played a key role in the second half. 'Our guys played better. This is a new team, we haven't played a lot together. 'Every time we get onto the court we want to see improvement. In the first half we played well because we focused on moving the ball. 'We swung it from side to side. We were patient with our shots. In the second half, we were not as patient.'
IOL News
06-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
The Impact of Ocean Pollution: Insights from Save a Fishie's Zoë Prinsloo
Founder and CEO of Save a Fishie in Cape Town, Zoë Prinsloo, was one of the panelists at The Our Oceans Conference in Busan, Korea, recently. IOL caught up with Prinsloo to ask her a few questions about South Africa's oceans, challenges, and the main rubbish found along the coastlines. How serious is ocean pollution along SA's coastlines, compared to other parts of the world? "I have cleaned all along South Africa's coastline and I can say it is definitely a serious issue. It's hard to comment on and compare to other parts of the world. I know my coastline fairly well. I feel many countries have their "prettier" looking beaches, while neglecting others. South Africa has a big litter problem, but not the worst, I feel. I would say South Africa has a larger effluent issue, regarding high E. coli levels and water sanitation. Making many of our beaches unsafe for public use. What impact does ocean pollution have on local marine life and communities? Ocean pollution has such a damaging and far-reaching impact. I have seen firsthand the impact on marine life. I have seen communities drowning in litter. My organization's name, "Save A Fishie", originated from seeing firsthand the effects of plastic on our sea life. I was cleaning our beach in Milnerton in Cape Town and pulled out a plastic packet from between the rocks. It started moving, and I poured the water out. A little fishie then swam out, and this heartwarming moment is when I realized that every piece of plastic removed from our environment can literally save a fishie. Are you seeing any improvements or positive changes as a result of cleanup efforts? This is a difficult question to answer, as cleaning seems to be a never-ending problem. We clean today, and tomorrow the litter is back. We once cleaned a beach on Milnerton, picking up over 650kg of litter, and when we went back the next day, it looked as if we had never cleaned there!! \ Although I can say that from the 7 years of cleaning at Milnerton Lagoon, it is incredibly rewarding to have days where we can walk along the beach feeling proud of the progress we have made. Looking back at photos of when I first started cleaning there, compared to now, I feel that this beach would've been in a much worse state. I do want to believe we are making progress. I have to believe that. One positive thought is the awareness we are raising. I believe we are reaching more and more people, especially the children. What areas or beaches in SA do you mainly focus on? My main focus is Lagoon Beach in Milnerton, where we clean nearly every weekend. But once a year, we embark on a 7-week beach clean-up campaign where we travel the entire coastline of South Africa doing beach cleanups, working with various schools, organisations, and local communities. We also do community cleanups in other areas. What are the biggest challenges faced during cleanups? The challenges vary from not having enough volunteers, weather conditions, running out of reusable gloves as volunteers sometimes take gloves home or throw them away, and, of course, funding is always a challenge. That's why we do these crazy awareness campaigns to raise awareness, but also funds. Can you describe a typical process of an ocean or beach cleanup event? Cleanups are incredibly easy! We supply bags and gloves, and after a brief intro, the volunteers head out to clean. When they come back, we weigh all the bags and record the kilograms collected. We sanitize, take a nice group photo and hand out waters. Sometimes we have sponsors who spoil our volunteers with handouts! What kinds of waste of pollution do you usually find? We always find the usual suspects: plastic bottle tops and packets, nappies, lollipop and earbud sticks, clothing and shoes, and yes, we are still finding plastic straws! We are also finding an alarming number of alcohol bottles. We also find an alarming number of surgical needles. We have found such a wide variety of items throughout our years cleaning, no matter how odd, strange, or far from the ocean it should be. IOL News
Zawya
05-03-2025
- Zawya
Redefining what is 'smart' about devices, human mobile devices poised for growth in South Africa
Expectations are that 2025 is going to be a turning point year for tech and consumers. For many, there's been enough talk about our hapless addiction to our phones. Young generations have first-hand experience of the modern loneliness crisis, mindlessly prioritising followers over making real friends. And everyone has a tale to tell of the damage done when we blindly follow cynical algorithms down toxic rabbit holes. The pursuit of better digital health is escalating change - from countries and communities to consumers. There are new bans on children signing up on social media platforms in Australia, while many South African schools have started the year with rules that ban smartphones as soon as learners arrive for the school day. On an individual level, consumers are making some strikingly different choices in their everyday lives. A case in point is the recent success of Human Mobile Devices' (HMD's) launch of the HMD Barbie Phone at the end of last year. According to Martiens Prinsloo, general manager of HMD Southern Africa, 'There was a 57% sell-out in the first two weeks, and consumer interest was so high that the South African operator, Vodacom, placed an additional order even before the first shipment landed in the country.' He points out that it wasn't just the allure of HMD's partnership with the highly popular Mattel brand: 'Yes, it's a super-cute phone, but consumers want more than just an aesthetic device. Retro-style phones like our HMD Barbie™ Phone are popular because they give you a vacation from your smartphone, and young people have growing concerns about the impact of 24/7 social media fixation on their real relationships, moods and sleep. They are increasingly prioritising their mental health and looking for ways that their devices support their important life goals. They are interested in finding ways to disconnect digitally so that they can be meaningfully connected in the real world. They want their devices to help them - not trap them in self-defeating cycles of anxiety, low self-esteem and loneliness.' How digital health concerns can reshape device design Of course, most consumers would prefer that their smartphones got smarter about digital health rather than take up a minimalist phone as a long-term solution for their digital overwhelm. For HMD, which has been the exclusive provider of Nokia branded phones in South Africa since 2017, this is a consumer concern that will be shaping their new HMD branded range launching in the country this year. Prinsloo says, 'HMD is at the forefront of these design challenges with our Better Phone Project that invites users to engage with us in the co-creation of designs for future device models and their built-in modes. As we expand our HMD brand presence in the country, this gives South African young people and parents opportunities to help shape our team's design thinking to address their pressing concerns and to meet their aspirations for living well. 'Our purpose is right in our name - Human Mobile Devices – human comes first, and the tech is deeply in service. Devices are not supposed to be overlords or manipulators or drivers of addictive and other unhealthy behaviours. Human well-being should not be a struggle against the devices we use – it should be facilitated, even enhanced, by those devices. In practical terms, that means that if a digital detox is what you need, then your mobile device should make that so easy for you to accomplish, such as switching on the Detox mode. This is a fundamental change in mobile device design thinking for this modern era. It's a shift from looking for ways to mitigate harm, such as through parental controls, to proactively building in human well-being.' This focus on human well-being includes issues of sustainability, and HMD takes a different stance on the typical built-in obsolescence of mobile devices. Prinsloo says, 'Affordability and durability has always been a focus for our brand.' Going forward, what can South Africa expect from HMD? This year, HMD will be launching two new devices in South Africa that come with two years of security updates to ensure the consumer's data is safe. HMD Key is already in-store and at a R1,299 price point, aiming to meet the needs of everyday South Africans with essential photography modes and performance-boosting virtual memory. Following soon in the same entry-level category will be the launch of HMD Arc, which will retail at R1,499 and offer enhanced battery and camera performance as well as fingerprint access. HMD's commitment to South Africa includes the brand's global priorities: Caring for the planet – In 2025, HMD Global maintained its EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating for the third year running, placing us in the top 1% of the companies assessed. Prinsloo says, 'Globally, we have launched devices that are designed with repairability and eco-friendliness at its core, and we will be bringing those to South Africa in the future. Championing mental health and digital well-being - Through initiatives like the Better Phone Project and the partnership with Xplora, HMD aims to help families navigate the digital world safely. 'From the Boring Phone with Heineken to the HMD Barbie™ Phone with Mattel and the Nokia 3210, we're redefining what it means to take a break from digital distractions. And of course, our HMD original smartphones come with Detox mode,' says Prinsloo. Driving innovation – HMD is an established leader when it comes to Gen 2 Repairability, making it easy for consumers to have repairs conducted in a much shorter time frame at authorised service centres. In addition, bold partnerships like the HMD Sony Venom collaboration and ongoing work with FC Barcelona show that the company is always pushing boundaries. Prinsloo concludes, 'Our focus is on leaning into what people truly need, creating technology for good and staying committed to people and the planet.'
