Cops deny gun quota rumours

2003-09-02 22:13

Johannesburg - The SA Police Service on Tuesday denied claims that it intends imposing a quota system on the issuing of firearms licences.

This comes after media allegations that national police commissioner Jackie Selebi had attended a meeting where it was decided that 80% of licence applications would be refused.

Spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the claims were not true because each application was considered on its own merits.

Bokaba told Sapa that he was surprised by media allegations and wanted to know who the source was.

"Why do people have to go through such measures and make such serious allegations?"

On Tuesday, various political parties criticised the SAPS, saying that a gun licence should be judged on publicly known criteria and merits and never on a quota system. Police officers were not trained to make a psychological and physical evaluation of an applicant, they complained.

However, Bokaba said: "Police are trained to follow the guidelines set when dealing with firearm licence applicants". Policemen were not psychologists, therefore should not be expected to do a job of a psychologist.

He said it was the responsibility of a firearm applicant to convince the police that he or she was fit to possess a firearm.

Although the quota system on the issuing of guns was not an option, it was important for the SAPS to tighten the issuing of firearms, Bokaba said.

- SAPA