The Firearm Amnesty was declared by the Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, for six months, commencing on 1 December 2019 and ending on 31 May 2020.
There are only three days left until the six month amnesty period ends.
Firearm Amnesty envisages to see a reduced number of illegally possessed firearms in circulation in the country. It provides firearm owners with the opportunity to hand in illegal and unwanted firearms, geared at curbing serious and violent crime.
The South African Police Service is encouraging people who still have unlawful or unwanted firearms, to utilize these remaining three days of the amnesty period to surrender such firearms without fear of prosecution. One may either surrender one’s firearm to the State for destruction, or one may surrender one’s firearm to allow oneself to reapply for a firearm licence.
Based on previous firearm amnesties, police had anticipated a significant increase in the number of firearms handed in during the last month of the amnesty period. The SAPS thus acknowledges the decline in the number of firearms handed in voluntarily during April and May, and tributes this decline to the restriction on the movement of persons during the COVID-19 lockdown.
We are subsequently urging people that are in possession of illegal firearms, ammunition and/or firearm parts to voluntarily hand them in at any police station across the country.
Since the beginning of the Amnesty Period the number of firearms that have been surrendered are 19 590. A further 168 809 rounds of ammunition and 757 firearm components have also been handed in as at 21 May 2020. The 19 590 firearms includes 795 estate firearms.
All firearms that have been handed in will undergo ballistic testing to ensure that they have not been used in the commission of a crime(s) before they can be considered for destruction.
For Firearm Amnesty enquiries, please contact FLASH Call Center at 012 353 6111 or email on [email protected]
South Africa Today – South Africa News
