A call to hand in all illegal firearms The chance to get rid of your firearms legally The legal, safe and preferred way to get rid of a firearm
JOBURG – Although the process is meant to remove the fears of prosecution, all weapons handed in will go for ballistic tests to ensure they have not been used in any illegal activity.
Firearm amnesty period declared from 1 August to 31 January 2021.
The national police service, under the leadership of Police Minister General Bheki Cele, has called on people looking to hand in any and all firearms they do not want any more or have been trying to get rid of. Police stations across the country will be accepting such firearms as part of the police’s efforts to remove these weapons out of the public realm.
One of these stations, Sophiatown Police Station, called on members in their precinct to be aware of the amnesty period. Spokesperson of the station, Captain TJ de Bruyn said, “The public is encouraged to make use of this opportunity to surrender and hand in unwanted or illegal firearms, firearm parts and ammunition without any fear of prosecution.”
Those that have expired firearm licences, are holding onto firearms of relatives and friends that have passed on and those who just don’t want their firearms anymore are encouraged to hand these over to their nearest police station. According to Captain de Bruyn, this amnesty period will also give members of the public the opportunity to renew their expired firearm licenses.
Those handing in the firearms will only be asked to fill out a form when they bring in their firearms. Although the process is meant to remove the fears of prosecution, all weapons handed in will go for ballistic tests to ensure they have not been used in any illegal activity. If it has been discovered to be the case, the police will immediately launch an investigation into the matter. For firearms that have a clean record, this will give the owners a chance to get rid of them in a legal and safe manner. In doing so, the community and public will be assisting the police in creating a safer place for all as these firearms will be destroyed and won’t make it onto the streets where its used for violent crimes.
For more information on the process, please contact Sophiatown Police Station’s Captain Mboweni on 071 676 5556.
Members of the public should contact their nearest station for more details on their firearm amnesty-related inquires.
