Illegal or unwanted firearms, firearm parts and ammunition can be surrendered to the police without fear of prosecution until January 31.
Col Athlenda Mathe said with only two weeks left of the firearms amnesty, police are “concerned that since the approval of the second amnesty period, only an additional 23,399 firearms and 119,781 rounds of ammunition were surrendered in the period commencing August 1 to date”.
“This constitutes a small percentage of unlicensed firearms which we know are still in circulation.”
Said Mathe: “Members of the public who are in possession of a firearm, firearm parts or ammunition are therefore urged to take advantage of this opportunity by handing in their firearms and ammunition either for destruction, or for relicensing the specific firearm with a relevant competency at their nearest police station. This applies to estate firearms whose owners have died.”
The amnesty also allows members of the public with the opportunity to surrender firearms whose licences have expired without fear that they will be charged for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm or ammunition.
The current firearms amnesty was approved by the cabinet last year, after the previous amnesty was hindered by the hard lockdown imposed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
The SAPS has so far received 46,714 firearms. Of these, 20,260 were for weapons with expired licences.
TimesLIVE
Only 2 weeks left to surrender unwanted or illegal firearms during amnesty
Image: 123RF/krisonealphotography
Illegal or unwanted firearms, firearm parts and ammunition can be surrendered to the police without fear of prosecution until January 31.
Col Athlenda Mathe said with only two weeks left of the firearms amnesty, police are “concerned that since the approval of the second amnesty period, only an additional 23,399 firearms and 119,781 rounds of ammunition were surrendered in the period commencing August 1 to date”.
“This constitutes a small percentage of unlicensed firearms which we know are still in circulation.”
Said Mathe: “Members of the public who are in possession of a firearm, firearm parts or ammunition are therefore urged to take advantage of this opportunity by handing in their firearms and ammunition either for destruction, or for relicensing the specific firearm with a relevant competency at their nearest police station. This applies to estate firearms whose owners have died.”
The amnesty also allows members of the public with the opportunity to surrender firearms whose licences have expired without fear that they will be charged for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm or ammunition.
The current firearms amnesty was approved by the cabinet last year, after the previous amnesty was hindered by the hard lockdown imposed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
The SAPS has so far received 46,714 firearms. Of these, 20,260 were for weapons with expired licences.
TimesLIVE
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