Saai welcomes the amnesty for firearm owners, especially those whose renewal applications were delayed or lost in the often-chaotic state of SAPS stations.
The Central Firearms Registry (CFR) cannot currently control the normal flow of renewal applications, and Bheki Cele, Minister of Police, recently acknowledged it. The enormous backlogs can be partially attributed to this. There is great concern over the SAPS’s capacity to sensibly manage the amnesty period over the next six months. It is estimated that the renewal applications of about one million legal firearms are delayed, and Saai is concerned about the current ownership status of these firearms on the CFR.
The SAPS is intensely aware that legal firearms are not the problem in South Africa, yet it has been dragging its feet for years to find a solution to the firearm licence renewal backlog. In the 2005 as well as the 2010 amnesty periods, very few illegal firearms were handed over.
Also, in the current amnesty period, it is mainly firearm owners whose renewal application are delayed who will benefit the most. Family farmers are worried, however, that late submissions may be used against them in the firearm fitness test, and Saai wants to obtain an undertaking from the Minister on this.
Two aspects of Cele’s announcement in the Government Gazette cause concern for Saai. The SAPS has a very poor track record regarding firearm control and have lost thousands of their own firearms over the past few years. Cele announced in August 2019 that more than 500 firearms had already been lost by police officers. The requirement that firearms for which renewal applications are submitted must be handed in at police stations leaves family farmers worried that, based simply on statistics, police stations are the most unsafe place for this purpose.
Moreover, there is no indication as to how long the firearm will not be in the owner’s care, and given the tragic figures of farm attacks and murders and the role that prepared firearm use plays in self-defence on farms, family farmers are very sceptical about handing over their firearms for an indefinite period. From experience in especially rural areas, farmers have good reason to ask whether the SAPS has the capacity or management ability to successfully execute an amnesty period such as the recently announced one. There simply isn’t enough space to safely store all the firearms, and damaged firearms will inevitably give rise to comprehensive civil claims.
A crucial court case on firearm licences that Gun Owners South Africa (Gosa) has brought against the Minister will only be heard in July after the end of the amnesty period, which throws suspicion on the timing of the amnesty.
Saai hopes to urgently enter into talks with Cele in cooperation with other network partners on these and other issues. Saai has already developed a databank to which firearm owners who have applied for amnesty can send their details to be followed up later. Send your name per WhatsApp to Saai at 066 071 6094 to be added to the databank.
AFRIKAANS
Saai verwelkom die amnestie vir vuurwapeneienaars, veral diegene wie se hernuwingsaansoeke in dikwels chaotiese toestande in SAPD-stasies vertraag is of weggeraak het.
Die Sentrale Vuurwapenregister (SVR) kan tans nie die normale vloei van hernuwingsaansoeke hanteer nie, en Bheki Cele, minister van Polisie, het dit onlangs erken. Die reuse-agterstande is deels hieraan toe te skryf. Daar heers groot kommer oor die SAPD se vermoë om die amnestie oor die volgende ses maande sinvol te bestuur. Daar is ’n geraamde een miljoen wettige vuurwapens waarvan hernuwingsaansoeke vertraag is en Saai is ook bekommerd oor die huidige eienaarskapstatus van daardie wapens op die SVR.
Die SAPD is intens bewus daarvan dat wettige vuurwapens nie die probleem in Suid-Afrika is nie; tog sloer die SAPD nou reeds jare om ’n oplossing vir die hernuwingsagterstand van vuurwapenlisensies te vind. In sowel die 2005- as die 2010-amnestieperiode is weinig onwettige vuurwapens ingehandig.
Ook in die huidige amnestieperiode is dit grotendeels wapeneienaars wie se hernuwingsaansoeke laat is wat die meeste bevoordeel sal word. Familieboere is egter bekommerd dat laat aansoeke teen hulle gebruik mag word in die vuurwapenbevoegdheidstoets, en Saai wil die minister se onderneming daaroor bekom.
Twee aspekte van Cele se aankondiging in die Staatskoerant stem Saai tot kommer. Die SAPD het ’n swak baanrekord wat vuurwapenbeheer betref en het duisende van hul eie vuurwapens oor die afgelope paar jaar verloor. Teen Augustus 2019 het Cele aangekondig dat daar reeds meer as 500 wapens uit polisiebeampte se hande weggeraak het. Die reëling dat wapens waarvoor lisensieaansoeke ingedien word by polisiestasies ingehandig moet word, laat familieboere bekommerd dat dit, bloot op grond van statistieke, die onveiligste plek daarvoor kan wees.
Boonop is daar geen aanduiding van hoe lank die wapen uit die eienaar se besit sal wees nie, en gegewe die tragiese syfers rondom plaasaanvalle en -moorde en die rol wat parate vuurwapenhantering in selfbeveiliging op plase speel, is familieboere baie skepties oor die sin daarvan om hul wapens onbepaald in te handig. Uit ervaring in veral landelike gebiede vra boere tereg of die SAPD die kapasiteit en bestuursvermoë het om ’n amnestieperiode soos die aangekondigde een suksesvol te kan voltrek. Daar is nie ruimte om al die vuurwapens veilig te stoor nie, en beskadigde vuurwapens gaan onafwendbaar tot omvattende siviele eise lei.
’n Deurslaggewende hofsaak oor vuurwapenlisensies wat die Vuurwapeneienaarsvereniging van Suid-Afrika (Gosa) teen die minister aanhangig gemaak het, word eers in Julie ná die einde van die amnestieperiode aangehoor, wat die tydsberekening van die amnestie verdag maak.
Saai hoop om dringend saam met netwerkvennote met Cele in gesprek te tree oor hierdie en ander besorgdhede. Saai het reeds ’n databank ontwikkel waarheen vuurwapeneienaars wat om amnestie aansoek gedoen het hul besonderhede kan stuur om later opgevolg te word. Stuur jou naam per WhatsApp na Saai by 066 071 6094 om tot die databank gevoeg te word.
