6-month amnesty: Legalise guns you’ve been afraid to hand in
Illegal firearm owners have until the end of January 2021 to get weapons licenced under the new Firearm Amnesty period.
A NEW six-month Firearm Amnesty has been approved by Parliament.
The amnesty period of six months beings today, 1 August.
The new amnesty which extends the deadline for gun owners to get their documents in order to 31 January, 2021.
“The previous amnesty period which was also intended for a period of six months, between December 2019 and May 2020 was thwarted by the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic,” said SAPS spokesperson Col. Brenda Muridili.
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Muridili said despite the pandemic causing disruptions, the South African Police Service received a resounding 46 714 firearms during the period from December last year to May.
“However, we believe that there are much more firearms out there that still need to be surrendered and we are confident the response to the previous amnesty would have been even more resounding if it were not for the pandemic,” said Muridili.
Muridili said restrictions on movement between levels 5 and 4 under the nationwide lockdown might have prevented people from turning in illegal as well as their unlicensed and unwanted firearms and ammunition.
Crime stats
Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, who yesterday briefed media on the latest crime statistics, touched on this matter in his speech.
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The latest National Crime Statistics once again show that firearms were the preferred weapon in the commission of most of the violent crimes.
“Reducing the circulation of firearms may potentially reduce the scourge of violent crimes quite significantly,” said Muridili.
The Police Minister approached Parliament to approve a new application of a six months amnesty period.
The new application’s approval was published in the Government Gazette on 31 July.
Amnesty
The amnesty period now allows all persons with illegal or unwanted firearms as well as ammunition to hand them in at their nearest police station.
It is hoped the amnesty period will result in a reduced number of illegally possessed firearms in circulation in the country.
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“It must be noted that no indemnity will be granted for firearms used to commit any crime,” said Muridili.
For Firearm Amnesty enquiries, please contact FLASH Call Center at 012 353 6111 or email on cfrenquiry@saps.gov.za.
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