Mark Kleinschmidt, Ward 60 councillor, Kenwyn
Against the backdrop of the scourge of lack of respect for teachers by pupils and the upsurge of crime, the other elephant in the room is the availability of replica firearms freely available from various toy outlets and specialist shops.
I strongly support the call by the Grassy Park Community Police Forum to ban the replica imitation handguns used in crimes.
It is difficult for the ordinary law abiding citizen to distinguish between the real thing and the replica.
Forum chairman Philip Bam correctly states that the pellets discharged from the replicas can cause serious injury to the sensitive parts of the face, especially the eyes.
With the upsurge in crime and SAPS being under-resourced, the reduction of replica firearms in circulation would be welcomed.
I call on all law-abiding citizens to refrain from purchasing the replica firearms for themselves or their children in support of crime prevention.