Firearm amnesty period to continue until May 31

Vosloorus SAPS communications officer Capt Piet Rossouw has issued a statement reminding the community of the firearm amnesty period.

He said firearm amnesty means indemnity against prosecution for the unlawful possession of a firearm.

“The firearm amnesty period provides an opportunity for the members of the community to surrender unwanted firearms and ammunition, firearms possessed unlawfully, as well as firearm parts, to the SAPS without any fear of being prosecuted for unlawful possession thereof,” said Rossouw.

Firearms that may be surrendered during the amnesty period are:

• Unwanted firearm – firearms unlawfully in someone’s possession, but that are no longer needed by its owners.

• Firearms that are unsafe to use, or in a poor state.

• Firearms that were inherited from a deceased person in which the person is not interested in keeping it.

• Firearms that were left behind by the previous owner of the property and were found on such property.

Rossouw explained that an illegal firearm is any firearm or firearm part which is not licensed and possessed in accordance with the Firearm Control Act (Act no 60 of 2000) or which is not registered under the name of the current owner or which does not have a serial number or is possessed by a person who does not have a licence for that firearm.

“The firearm amnesty period also allows persons whose licences have expired to surrender such firearms without facing any prosecution. The Firearms Control Act of 2000 further allows the persons surrendering a firearm to apply for a licence for such a firearm in terms of section 39 (4) (a) of the Act,” said Rossouw.

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