Gun owners in for a shock

2005-11-22 08:10

Michelé O' Connor

Cape Town - Owners of firearms are set for a rude awakening early next year.

According to the Central Firearm's Register those who fail to comply with the act on the control of firearms will be arrested, their weapons confiscated and they'll have to appear in court.

Statistics have shown that are more than 500 000 firearms licences countrywide need to be renewed before December 31.

Abe van Tonder, accredited trainer in Cape Town, doubted whether this target would be reached.

"There is a small increase in people turning up for training but it isn't nearly as many as I expected. I ordered more manuals because I expected hundreds of gun owners to come to me for training during the next month of two.

"This is not happening. I suspect the red tape with paperwork puts people off. Gun owners hand in their firearms at police stations instead of going for training.

Gun owners are afraid of the law and for what could happen if they fail to comply with it."

Van Tonder said gun owners had to fill in numerous forms and make statements. These include SAP 517 and SAP 517E forms.

They also had to make statements and write motivations. They had to hand in four colour-identity photographs and a number of certified copies of, among others, their identity document, arms licence and proficiency certificate.

"The paper war is just too much for the older gun owners in particular," he said.

According to another accredited trainer, Faan Gerber, things weren't looking too good. There was a small increase in the applications for training but not nearly enough.

"People in rural areas have woken up to some extent but people in the cities are ignoring the fact that there are only 40 days left. If they wake up now, there won't be enough trainers in the country to train them all," he said.

Director Phuti Setati, national police spokesperson, said gun owners who refused to renew their licences, could be sentenced to up to 12 months in prison.

"Gun owners who don't want to renew their licences can also sell their guns to arms dealers or hand it in at a police station. The licences of stolen guns need not be renewed," he said.

- Die Burger