It should come as no surprise to any South African that the new year was rung in with tragedy, violence and murder. The onslaught on the vulnerable continues, and properties are routinely attacked with deadly force. Popular holiday destinations such as the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal were the hotspots over the festive season and are no longer safe. These incidents highlight the necessity of self-defence and the importance of defending your property.
A few days after Christmas, videos of a bloodsoaked resort owner from the North-West fending off a knife-wielding visitor went viral. According to news reports, the confrontation was sparked when the owner requested that the suspects stop smoking from their hubbly bubbly, which is forbidden on the premises. It has been confirmed by local police that he asked them twice to refrain from smoking the pipe and put it away. The disturbing viral video shows the owner and a patron struggling over the pipe before he was approached and stabbed multiple times in the back by another man. He was also punched in the face during the confrontation. He was rushed to the nearest hospital and placed in the ICU. At the time of writing, he has thankfully made a full recovery and was discharged from hospital. It is clear from the video that the suspects intended to take his life, and he is very lucky to be alive. Three suspects have since been arrested.
Undoubtedly this resort owner has been scarred for life, both physically and mentally. Firearms.co.za believes that this traumatic (and potentially deadly) incident could have been prevented if the resort owner was legally armed and equipped with proper training. We have seen time and time again that isolated properties such as farms and lodges are the most vulnerable to violent attacks. It is therefore imperative for individuals with these types of properties to be properly armed and trained.
Overall, the police had their work cut out for them with 13 000 arrests between 30 December and 5 January alone. Among these arrests 142 were for murder and 241 for rape. Although police should rightly be praised for their successes, the underlying fact remains that many of these violent attacks could have been thwarted if the victims were legally armed with firearms and properly trained to use them in a self-defence situation.