Gun bill under fire from ANC

2003-04-02 13:29

Cape Town - Senior police management came under fire from the African National Congress on Wednesday for delays in the implementation the Firearms Control Act, passed by Parliament in 2000.

Only certain sections of the act have been implemented so far.

During a presentation by police to the National Assembly's safety and security committee on the implementation of the regulations of the act, ANC MP Mnyamezeli Booi spent seven minutes lambasting the presenters for "promising" some time ago the act would be fully implemented by April 1 this year.

Among other things, Booi accused them of having "undermined parliament", and singled out central firearms registry head Jaco Bothma for criticism.

But, Democratic Alliance committee member Paul Swart said Booi had set an unfortunate precedent in the committee with his "ranting and raving".

Huge volume of work to be done

Swart said national police commissioner Jackie Selebi had himself assured the committee the police could implement the act and, if anyone was to blame for the delay, it was he.

The Inkatha Freedom Party's Elred Ferreira said Booi had spoken on behalf of himself and the ANC, not on behalf of the committee.

Assistant commissioner Flip Jacobs of the police legal services department said that, because of the sheer volume of the regulations to be drafted for the act's implementation, its implementation took considerable time.

The consultation process required by parliament took time and if it was not done properly, would render the regulations invalid.

Bothma said the act could be implemented fully only once the regulations had been finalised.

During the briefing earlier, Jacobs said the draft regulations had been published in the Government Gazette for public comment on March 27 after being approved by Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula.

The closing date for comment was April 29, and the target date for finalisation of the regulations was "not later than the end of June 2003".

The act would then be put into operation as soon as possible afterwards, Jacobs said.

Regulations still had to be drafted for, among other things, training and knowledge testing, and other work that could be done by the holder of a gunsmith's licence.

Amendment bill due soon

Other regulations dealt with banned guns that could be kept under a license to possess a firearm in a public collection, and conditions in respect of the acquisition, use, destroying and disposal of guns by official institutions.

However, these were not critical for the act's present implementation, he said.

A draft amendment bill to correct shortcomings in the act also would be tabled shortly.

This was necessary to provide for members of the police, defence force, correctional services, and security officers on duty to be exempted from having to keep their guns covered at all times.

Other amendments dealt with transitional arrangements to allow for the validity of existing gunsmith's licences when the act was implemented, and for administrative and linguistic errors, said Jacobs.

- SAPA