Weapons Collectors' Bonanza

[Harry Fecitt]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...africa-12689342

Interesting news perhaps for certain types of weapons collectors.

[Brett Hendey]

To the SAP total of lost weapons must be added the 82 000 lost by the South African National Defence Force, which is almost 20% of its armoury. A recent newspaper report stated that in 2005 "the SANDF reported that 23% of the troops were HIV-positive and that deafness and clinical obesity each claimed another quarter of the army muster". Given such medical frailty in the SANDF, a high proportion of the force has no need for weapons, hence passing them on to criminals who do need them.

Brett

[Mervyn Mitton]

Brett - you're just an old cynic....... But, seriously, I think that we would be hard put to defend ourselves agaist the Isle of Wight !

[Brett Hendey]

One of the results of having a large population of well-armed criminals is that South Africa has a high murder rate. The Pietermaritzburg newspaper, 'Weekend Witness', recently published some interesting statistics comparing England & Wales (E&W) with South Africa (SA). The figures are directly comparable since E&W had a population of 53 million in 2009, while SA had a population of 49 million in 2008, when the statistics were compiled. The SA figures probably exclude the hordes of Mocambiqueans,Zimbabweans, Congolese, Nigerians, Somalis etc who have settled in SA, so there may actually be an insignificant difference in the total populations.

MURDERS: SA - 18 148 E&W - 651

By the way, Statistics South Africa includes gunshot deaths in "exposure to inanimate mechanical forces", of which there were 5 647 in 2008, 98% of which were actually gunshot deaths. The number has probably increased considerably since then, because the SA Police now have a very liberal "shoot to kill" policy.

The crime statistics, coupled with those of road traffic accidents and disease lead to the inescapable conclusion that one has a far better chance of reaching old age in E&W than in SA.

Brett