Only 12 gun training centres

2004-08-10 16:10

Cape Town - Five of South Africa's nine provinces have no accredited training centres for gun licence applicants, leaving firearm dealers in these regions unable to do business, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday.

"Only 12 institutions have been accredited countrywide," DA safety and security spokesperson Roy Jankielsohn said in a statement.

The new Firearms Control Act - which came into effect on July 1 this year - has made it mandatory for anyone applying for a gun licence to undergo a proficiency test with an accredited institution.

Jankielsohn said the Free State, North West, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Limpopo provinces had no such institutions.

"People in these provinces are currently expected to travel to other provinces for training.

"Government apparently wants to disarm citizens and put firearm dealers out of business in South Africa."

He said it was ironic that the provinces where citizens were unable to access training necessary for firearm licenses were mostly rural and along international borders, where cross-border crime was rampant.

"Government must state how it intends to resource the SA Police Service to protect citizens who have been disarmed because they can not afford or access competency training," Jankielsohn said.

- SAPA