'Gunfree schools a must - soon'

2005-09-14 18:41

Cape Town - A parliamentary committee called on the ministers of safety and security and of education on Wednesday to make schools gun-free places soon.

"We must hurry up the process of firearm-free zones, especially when it comes to schools," said safety and security committee chairwoman Maggie Sotyu.

She was speaking during a report to parliament by the Central Firearms Registry on the issuing of new firearm licences.

She said there were a number of schools where policemen had to be stationed permanently to combat crime.

The creation of gun-free schools was a priority in a broader move to establish gun-free zones in other state buildings, including hospitals.

Bernard Bloem, spokesperson for Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, said his minister and Education Minister Naledi Pandor had continuing discussions on the topic.

He said Nqakula had provided Pandor with all the information she needed "and was now awaiting action from the minister of education".

Many still in the system

Reporting on progress with the issuing of licences under the controversial Firearms Control Act, police director Jaco Bothma said that, while there was a backlog, progress was being made.

Bothma told the committee that 21 291 applications for competency evaluations had been received. These had to be undertaken before a licence was issued or renewed.

Only 3 937 such evaluations had been finalised. The remainder were still in the system.

Of the 4 224 applications for firearm licenses received by the registry since January, Bothma said 776 had been approved, 37 refused and the remainder were in the system.

He said the investigation of applicants took time but it was still the registry's desire to issue licences within three months of the application being received.

Renewal applications, however, were more numerous, with 7 007 requests in August alone.

Bothma said many people, including those who had died or had had their weapons lost or stolen, did not need to renew their licenses.

System 'clean' by July 2009

"These people (dead) don't need to renew their licences because they are dead, but they must inform us under regulation 103.4," he told the committee.

These figures not withstanding, Bothma said it was believed the system would be "clean" by July 1, 2009.

African National Congress MP Annalise van Wyk said this would mean that police would be able to trace the history of each weapon used in a crime.

Democratic Alliance MP Roy Jankielsohn told the committee he had a "huge" file of complaints from upset gun owners in his Free State constituency.

- SAPA