22/06/2026
Safari Outdoor
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Media statement by Marco van Niekerk, CEO of Outdoor Investment Holdings
22 June 2026
Outdoor Investment Holdings has written to Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia to request that new research commissioned by the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service into the underlying rationale of possible changes to South Africaโs firearm control legislation, be properly considered before any further legislative decisions are taken, including any decisions on the Fi****ms Control Amendment Bill.
This an urgent matter, given that the Amendment Bill is already being considered behind closed doors at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), while the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service has confirmed to parliament that new research will determine whether South Africaโs firearm problems are caused by deficiencies in law or in its enforcement.
Proceeding before the evidence is available would repeat the central mistake of the process to date: proposing far-reaching restrictions without first testing whether they are necessary, workable or capable of being implemented.
Marco van Niekerk, Group Chief Executive Officer of Outdoor Investment Holdings, said this question must be answered before government proceeds with amendments that will affect lawful firearm owners, the formal fi****ms sector, hunters, sport shooters and businesses operating in the sector.
โIf government is researching whether South Africaโs firearm challenges arise from gaps in the law or failures in its implementation, that work must be completed and its findings shared before any further legislative decisions are taken,โ Van Niekerk said.
โGovernment must first establish whether the problem is the law itself, or weak administration, poor enforcement and the proliferation of illegal fi****ms. Legislating before answering that question risks targeting law-abiding and compliant firearm owners while leaving the real causes of the proliferation of illegal fi****ms unaddressed.โ
Outdoor Investment Holdings operates fully within South Africaโs regulatory framework as the countryโs largest importer, distributor and retailer of fi****ms and ammunition. The company supports responsible firearm regulation but believes that legislation of this significance must be grounded in evidence, informed by meaningful consultation and tested against operational reality.
The Fi****ms Control Amendment Bill proposes further limits on civilian firearm ownership, expanded ministerial powers, additional restrictions on hunters and sport shooters, and importantly the removal of self-defence as a recognised reason for firearm ownership.
OIH has engaged with a range of stakeholders across the lawful fi****ms sector and related industries, many of whom have raised concerns that the proposed amendments will place further burdens on compliant firearm owners and regulated businesses without addressing the underlying causes of firearm-related crime.
โIn our experience, South Africaโs fi****ms crisis relates directly to shortcomings in police administration, operation and enforcement, as well as the proliferation of illegal fi****ms,โ Van Niekerk said.
โFurther restrictions on lawful firearm owners will have negative consequences if the state does not first strengthen the administration and enforcement of the existing law.โ
OIH has requested that Minister Cachalia ensure the scope and eventual findings of the current research is disclosed and shared with affected stakeholders, and that the formal sector is given an opportunity to engage with the conclusions before any further steps are taken on the Amendment Bill.
Van Niekerk said the research could play an important role in correcting the direction of fi****ms policy.
โThis process must be driven by evidence, not assumption. We need to know who is conducting the research and what their precise mandate is. The research must be transparent and open to scrutiny so that fi****ms policy is effective, enforceable and does not unfairly restrict the rights of lawful firearm owners.โ Van Niekerk said.
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๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Media statement by Marco van Niekerk, CEO of Outdoor Investment Holdings
22 June 2026
Outdoor Investment Holdings has written to Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia to request that new research commissioned by the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service into the underlying rationale of possible changes to South Africaโs firearm control legislation, be properly considered before any further legislative decisions are taken, including any decisions on the Fi****ms Control Amendment Bill.
This an urgent matter, given that the Amendment Bill is already being considered behind closed doors at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), while the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service has confirmed to parliament that new research will determine whether South Africaโs firearm problems are caused by deficiencies in law or in its enforcement.
Proceeding before the evidence is available would repeat the central mistake of the process to date: proposing far-reaching restrictions without first testing whether they are necessary, workable or capable of being implemented.
Marco van Niekerk, Group Chief Executive Officer of Outdoor Investment Holdings, said this question must be answered before government proceeds with amendments that will affect lawful firearm owners, the formal fi****ms sector, hunters, sport shooters and businesses operating in the sector.
โIf government is researching whether South Africaโs firearm challenges arise from gaps in the law or failures in its implementation, that work must be completed and its findings shared before any further legislative decisions are taken,โ Van Niekerk said.
โGovernment must first establish whether the problem is the law itself, or weak administration, poor enforcement and the proliferation of illegal fi****ms. Legislating before answering that question risks targeting law-abiding and compliant firearm owners while leaving the real causes of the proliferation of illegal fi****ms unaddressed.โ
Outdoor Investment Holdings operates fully within South Africaโs regulatory framework as the countryโs largest importer, distributor and retailer of fi****ms and ammunition. The company supports responsible firearm regulation but believes that legislation of this significance must be grounded in evidence, informed by meaningful consultation and tested against operational reality.
The Fi****ms Control Amendment Bill proposes further limits on civilian firearm ownership, expanded ministerial powers, additional restrictions on hunters and sport shooters, and importantly the removal of self-defence as a recognised reason for firearm ownership.
OIH has engaged with a range of stakeholders across the lawful fi****ms sector and related industries, many of whom have raised concerns that the proposed amendments will place further burdens on compliant firearm owners and regulated businesses without addressing the underlying causes of firearm-related crime.
โIn our experience, South Africaโs fi****ms crisis relates directly to shortcomings in police administration, operation and enforcement, as well as the proliferation of illegal fi****ms,โ Van Niekerk said.
โFurther restrictions on lawful firearm owners will have negative consequences if the state does not first strengthen the administration and enforcement of the existing law.โ
OIH has requested that Minister Cachalia ensure the scope and eventual findings of the current research is disclosed and shared with affected stakeholders, and that the formal sector is given an opportunity to engage with the conclusions before any further steps are taken on the Amendment Bill.
Van Niekerk said the research could play an important role in correcting the direction of fi****ms policy.
โThis process must be driven by evidence, not assumption. We need to know who is conducting the research and what their precise mandate is. The research must be transparent and open to scrutiny so that fi****ms policy is effective, enforceable and does not unfairly restrict the rights of lawful firearm owners.โ Van Niekerk said.
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