Protesters led by biker group Ride to Freedom gathered outside South Africa’s parliament to hand over a memorandum against a proposed ban on owning a firearm for self-defence.

The biker group, under the leadership of Brent Van Der Westhuizen, called on the government to not pass the proposed amendments to a firearms bill, which will exclude self defence as a valid reason to own a gun.

Neil De Beer from the United Independent Movement said they were there to protect their constitutional right to own a firearm. De Beer is a former spy and operative of the ANC’s armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe.

Damian Enslin from the South African Gun Owners Association said they are defending the rights of law abiding citizens to own a firearm for self defence.

Debbie Els from the Stop Farm Murders Movement said government wants to take away citizens’ rights to protect themselves and that she was standing up farmers.

JP Smith, who came to accept the memorandum on behalf of Democratic Alliance MP Andrew Whitfiled, said it only took a few rotten apples in the South African police service to sell guns to gangsters and that that kind of thing would enable, not reduce, violent crime if ordinary citizens were prevented from holding guns for self-defence.

Various organisations led by biker group Ride to Freedom under the leadership of Brent Van Der Westhuizen gathered outside Parliament to hand over a memorandum to call on government to not pass proposed amendments which will exclude self defence as a valid reason to own a firearm.

Neil De Beer from the United Independent Movement said they were there to protect their constitutional right to own a firearm. De Beer is a former spy and operative of the ANC’s armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe.

Damian Enslin from the South African Gun Owners Association said they are defending the rights of law abiding citizens to own a firearm for self defence.

Debbie Els from the Stop Farm Murders Movement said government is wanting to take citizen’s rights to protect themselves and she was standing up farmers.

JP Smith, who came to accept the memorandum on behalf of Democratic Alliance MP Andrew Whitfiled, said it only took a few rotten apples in the South African Police service to sell guns to gangsters.