AK-47 Cheaper than Harry Potter Book

According to South African author Pieter-Dirk Uys, it is cheaper to buy a second-hand AK-47 assault rifle than a new copy of a Harry Potter book. As part of World Book Day, Uys is working to have the 14% VAT (Value-Added Tax) on books removed by the South African Parliament. So far Uys and his campaign has “already collected tens of thousands of individual signatures and won the backing of all three trade union federations, along with support from libraries, schools and tertiary institutions around the country.” Here’s a copy of their petition. (MS Word format).

This quote says it all:

“It is a campaign very close to my heart,” said Pieter-Dirk Uys. “There is something very wrong when an AK costs less than a JK.”

According to the article, South Africans can email support to [email protected].