What you need to know about surrendering your firearm if your licence has expired
Police say the implementation plan was developed to operationalise the surrender process.
POLOKWANE – According to police spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe, a ruling by the constitutional court stated that any person who has failed to renew their firearm licence, as contemplated in terms of section 24 and section 03 of the Firearms Control (Act No. 60 of 2000), will be declared to be unlawfully possessing a firearm(s) from the date of expiry and will be required to surrender all such firearms.
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“The South African Police Service has pronounced that firearm owners whose licences have expired, may surrender such firearms and ammunition with no fear to their nearest police station,” he said.
Firearm owners are therefore advised and encouraged to take note of the following:
– No Police Station must send any person away who wants to surrender their firearm(s).
– All firearms with expired licences must be handed in for destruction.
– All police stations have all the necessary resources to deal with surrendered firearms and ammunition.
– Firearms will not be held for more than 24 hours at Police Stations.
– All handed in firearms will be handed at a designated place to minimise all risks.
– All firearm(s) owners will be provided with a receipt that reflects the Occurrence (OB) Book entry and SAPS 13 number
– A consolidated report will be sent to the Saps Provincial office before 8:00 every day.
– A green licence that was not migrated to a white licence is still valid but those who migrated from green to white cannot use the green licence as a valid liecence for the firearm as it stops to exist with the issuing of the white licence.
– No compensation can be paid for illegal firearms and illegal firearms cannot be re-licenced or handed over to the dealer.
– The only way to get rid of the firearm, is to surrender it to the police for destruction.
– If you hand over a firearm to the police in pieces or if it is damaged or detroyed, you will have contravened the Firearm Control Act.
– Station Commanders are sole custodians of this project and are there to help you if you have a problem.
“All Saps’ doors are open. From Station Commanders, Cluster Commanders and the Provincial Office, we are there to assist anyone to make sure this process happens smoothly,” Ngoepe added.
Saps Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Jan Scheepers, has appealed to all firearm owners in Limpopo, to comply fully with this judgement as those are found in possession of expired firearm licenses will be dealt with accordingly without compromise.
