In accordance with a proposed draft amendment bill no person will in future be able to buy/own a firearm for self defence.
Citizens must, within the framework of the law, be able to protect themselves and their families against criminals. This draft amendment in its current format will result in citizens being left defenceless in a country where the South African Police Service already openly admitted that they do not have the ability to protect citizens against a wave of crime.
The proposed amendments are irrational and reckless especially since this draft takes away the ability of citizens to possess a firearm for self defence purposes. Furthermore it appears that sport shooters, hunters and firearm dealers will also come off second best with the proposed amendments.
How do the proposed amendments affect you?
- You will no longer be able to cite self-defence as reason to own a firearm.
- Firearms for hunting and sport purposes will be limited, even if you have dedicated status. Only six firearms will be allowed if you have dedicated status, and still only four if you don’t have that status. The composition of these six or four firearms will also be limited. You will no longer be able to own two shotguns or hand-guns, for example.
- You will no longer be allowed to own reloading equipment.
- You will not be able to transport any firearm without a special permit. If you wanted to go hunting or to go to the shooting range, you will have to obtain a permit.
- You will not be able to allow anyone younger then 16 years to operate your firearm under your supervision.
- No one will be allowed to have more than 100 rounds of ammunition per firearm in their possession. This will also apply to people with dedicated status.
- It will be very difficult to obtain and/or maintain dedicated status.
- Private firearm collections will be completely abolished and only public collectors will be recognised.
- Firearm licences for hunting and/or sport that have been unlimited up to now, will now have to be renewed every five years.
- Before being able to transfer a firearm to anyone, the firearms will first have to undergo ballistic testing.
- People who had a protection order against them at any time will be declared incompetent to own firearms.
- The minister will have much wider powers to limit the import of firearms.
- Prospective sport-shooters, dedicated hunters and professional hunters will have to apply for certificates of competence to obtain and/or maintain this statuses. Moreover, people’s actions will be monitored closely to ascertain whether they qualify for these statuses.
- Semi-automatic rifles and shotguns will resort under the definition of limited firearms. This will be regulated significantly stricter and you will only be able to own it under extraordinary conditions. The Registrar will have the authority to declare any ammunition as prohibited ammunition, which means that these ammunitions may not be produced or bought.
- Certificates of competence and licences may be granted to people who are younger than 21 years but older than 18 years if they can provide very good reason why they should qualify. Examples of these include when they require it for business purposes or want to obtain the status of dedicated hunter or sport-shooter.
- It is envisaged that a advisory forum will be created that will comprise among others the head of the Central Firearms Register and senior personnel from the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA).
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