Illegal gun owners will be allowed to apply for pardoning in terms of firearm legislation

MBOMBELA -According to Capt Ronel Bekker, of Nelspruit SAPS, this will have massive implications for illegal gun owners.

“They will be able to approach a police station to hand in their unlicensed weapons,” she said.

“There are a lot of guns in circulation which were inherited by people from a deceased estate and people are too scared to come forward and apply through the proper channels to legalise their firearms,” Bekker conveyed.

In terms of the Government Gazette published, an amnesty period will run, which will commence on December 1 and continue until May 31, 2020. It will allow persons to voluntarily hand in their weapons without being prosecuted for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm.

The declaration envisaged by Section 139 of the Firearms Control Act, 60 of 2000 states that a written application to be pardoned can be made at any police station to surrender the weapon to a designated amnesty officer.

ALSO READ: The law prescribes hefty sentences for firearm contraventions

An applicant who wishes to apply for a license to legally own the firearm surrendered, must within 14 days lodge an application to that effect, from the date the gun was handed over.

Care must be taken that an amnesty application shall not apply to illegal firearms, where documentary proof of previous ownership cannot be produced.

The statement indicated that, “the launch of the amnesty plan is primarily to reduce the circulation of illegal firearms and address the fundamental causes of crime, in order to effectively protect communities.”

Bekker encourages all unlicensed weapon holders to complete the necessary competency tests, as soon as possible, in order to simplify the application process to possess a weapon. “A competency certificate to properly handle a weapon, may take up to four months to acquire and the amnesty period is only for six months,” she warned.

ALSO READ: WATCH Shots fired in local parking area